The small convoy that Quincy brought would have gotten quite a few stares from the general populace of Crest, thus, he made the executive, and forceful, decision to go into the city to look for the target with just him, and the two Enforcer's in training he brought with.
First things first, he asked around to see if anybody had seen a young woman with short black hair as of late, but to little avail. If the info obtained from that Colonel was anything to go by, as well as the tracks they were following, she was certainly somewhere in Crest. From what he knew, she was certainly trying to get into Vampire territory for her revenge or whatever, so she'd be trying to pass the wall. There wasn't a way she could get past it anytime soon, however, not a non-Aura user like her, so it was only a matter of time...
That is to say, until he finds and recruits her.
"'Teach..." Rizei began, adjusting her face mask. Considering she was used to the weather conditions in the Capital, of which being frigid nearly all year apart from summer, even the lukewarm heat of a winter in Crest was stifling. "Could we maybe... er, question someone inside?"
"No, no, I think this next person will definitely know something..." Quincy assured, though perhaps he was more so trying to convince himself.
Though, before he could continue, he was distracted by the other Enforcer in training, Kazan, who was standing in front of a rundown shop with a 'closed' sign on the front. "Hey, mind if I take a break? My Gramps runs this place, haven't seen the guy in a while."
"Ugh, of course not." Rizei replied, "I mean, we're on the job, right?"
However, after a moment of staring at the place, Quincy nodded, "Sure. I'll be saying hello as well."
Right after they entered the dusty store, Quincy's face turned into a frown. The moment he saw Donovan, who was relaxing at the counter holding a remote, he quickly slammed his hands upon the counter and said, "You've been caught red handed!"
Donovan shrugged, without much emotion, "Ah, the pathetic military group my good for nothing grandson joined, how wonderful it is for you to drop by."
"W-wait, good for nothing?" Kazan asked for elaboration, but was completely ignored by everyone in the room.
"Drop the act, old man." Quincy went on, his eyes narrowed, though couldn't quite hide the slightly playful tone he had. "In your right hand you've got the detonator to set off several explosives around this town to distract the guard. But, only one of them is actually powerful enough to hurt anything, and that one is going to blow a hole right through the wall! While everyone's distracted, a certain deserter will go right through it, huh?"
"That was an oddly specific guess, 'Teach." Rizei commented.
"Pshh, you ain't got a lick of evidence, kid, and besides," Donovan crossed his arms, a smug smirk showing beneath his wrinkled skin. "I am a valued Sanctuary patriot, ask anyone in Crest and they'll agree I love this country more than anything else! I devoted my younger years to serving in the Engineering Core for a reason, after all."
"Maybe so," Quincy replied, taking a step back to point at him. "But that was your biggest mistake, and what told me everything I needed to know to convict you! Your greatest creation, the Worldwide Communication System; It's told me everything!"
"Impossible! There's no way you could have found one of the hundreds of Communications Towers across Sanctuary and messaged me three days ago!" He stood up, supporting himself with the desk.
"Is this an advertisement? What the hell is going on?" Kazan aske–
""Shut it, Kazan!"" Both Quincy and Donovan very suddenly exclaimed in unison, pausing to both glare at the short Enforcer in training.
"They're right," Rizei placed a hand on Kazan's shoulder, looking him in the eyes. "You're being a total weirdo."
"Huh? The fuck did I do?!"
The group went back to ignoring him completely.
"... I'll give you this much, you're right, I did build the Wireless Worldwide Communication System," Donovan continued his dialogue with Quincy, pulling out one of the many communication devices he had and flipping it open. "And, sure, maybe we did have a conversation or two. Still, there's no possible way you could know that I went through with the plan!"
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong. You see, I talked to my brilliant apprentice about this beforehand. She has a Technique that allows her incredible foresight, in a sense. Truly useful for such a thing like that!" He patted Rizei on the shoulder, though she just frowned at the contact. "When she gave me the sign, I knew that you'd be doing the plan sometime soon."
"Was I the only one who knew nothing?!" Kazan threw his arms into the air, wanting to tear out his hair in response to this entire situation.
"Damn... Now that's a smart move, Enforcer. Truly, it seems I've underestimated you..." He nodded to himself, mostly in acknowledgement of his own intelligence. "But, you're far too late! After all, they're timed to go off in one minute! There's no way you can–"
"Alright, see you, Don." Quincy turned, waving with the back of his hand as he approached the door. "C'mon, kids."
"Oh, uh, yeah. See you," Donovan scratched the back of his neck, sitting back down on his chair. "Tell Kaz to drop by soon or something, alright?"
"I'm... right here, Gramps..." Kazan uttered to himself, watching the interactions with a strange sense of disappointment.
However, the moment the three left the ground rumbled as smoke rose up from each corner and side of the walls, a piercing explosion resonating in their ears. Almost in sync, Quincy came to a stop and whipped his head towards the southern wall, to a particular section in particular.
Out of all of the explosions, only one smelled like gunpowder.
"You two go get the convoy. Kazan, you use your Technique to move them through the wall, and Rizei, you watch their back." Quincy didn't take a single second to hesitate upon giving those orders, lighting a cigarette and taking a long, deep inhale. His Aura began to circulate through his body soon after, immediately moving to his legs as he began to run, leaving the other two in the dust.
"... We didn't even get to say 'Yes, Sir.' Ugh..." Rizei sighed, loading a non-lethal round into her sniper rifle as the two began to walk in the opposite direction.
"Don'tcha find it weird how he's only that hot headed when it comes to women?" Kazan tilted his head at the other, following right beside her.
"I... don't think that has anything to do with it. Besides, isn't that deserter pretty much his niece? Well, not related, but..."
"Huh? I thought they were complete strangers all this time!"
"He's literally talked about how he knew her when she was a toddler, do you even listen to those rants he goes on?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Nah, I tune out most of what he says, honestly. Gives me a headache, y'know?"
Rizei resisted letting out a genuine sigh of disappointment. "Kaz, that's... nevermind. I'm gonna radio the team..."
–
And, that's how they got to this point. Rosa looking at Quincy through the window door, hands tight upon the wheel, and Lysa simply looking confused.
Without wasting a second, his Aura spread through his muscles, circulating and pushing his power to its very limit. He stomped down upon the ground, causing the concrete below him to crack, and the car to sink down. The wheels got caught between the rubble, forcing the car to stop even without him keeping it in place.
Once it was done, he casually took a step forward, going close to the door to lean his arms on it, pulling down the window and breaking the mechanism. He looked into Rosa's dark eyes for a long moment, but eventually smiled softly, giving an especially calming tone. "I've come to talk to you about joining Enforcer training."
"... What?" Was all that escaped Rosa's lips, tilting her head as her eyebrows furrowed.
"Enforcer training. Though, officially I'm here to bring you back to the Capital to charge you for deserting, and illegal departing. But, I'll pull a few strings to get that dealt with and for you to start training with me." He went on for a few moments, ignoring the other passenger as he was wholly focused on Rosa.
She blinked, "No." She unbuckled her seat belt, moving a bit closer to Lysa.
She, on that note, whispered to her, "Rosa... do you know this man...?"
"Not really, honestly..."
"Oh, come on now. Is this how you're going to act in the face of a friend? After I came all this way to collect you." His voice brought them out of their conversion, though what he said caused Rosa's confusion to turn into annoyance. Before she could say anything in response, though, he went on upon looking at Lysa for a half moment. "So, Rosaaaa. Why exactly is there a Vampire in your car?"
"I'm her Girlfriend," Lysa blurted out, completely ignoring the real question.
"... She's my Girlfriend." Rosa did as well.
"Right..." Quincy was still smiling, though it had morphed into more of a wry one as he backed up. "Okay, you two get out of the car."
Neither argued, seeing how being confined in a small vehicle was an even more dangerous predicament for both. Rosa in particular grabbed her rifle, holding it close to her chest as she scanned for any other people in the distance. Nobody, for now, but she wasn't sure if he would really come alone.
That being said, he probably didn't need any backup. She remembered just what he could do, what he showed her all that time ago. If he really wanted to, she was sure he could kill both her and Lysa. It was something on her mind from the moment she saw him.
"I'm not going back," She made clear, her eyes narrowed.
"Haha, of course..." He chuckled, but it felt strangely empty. "After all, you can't while you're still a thrall to that Vampire."
A sudden wave of unease washed over the two as finished his sentence, and while neither could see it, the energy around the Enforcer had begun to change. A sudden burst of Aura enveloped his being, malevolent and hateful in nature, a formation of his inner psyche at that moment.
"H-hold on, I'm not–" Rosa was interrupted.
"Not a word. Manipulation is a slow and insidious killer, one that is all the more powerful when used through the disguise of love." Moving forward towards the two, he eyes were low, nearly lifeless, yet there was an emotion more powerful than anything else Rosa had seen from him prior. It made her shiver. "Not a word from you can be trusted as it stands, but it's no matter. Once I bring you back to the Capital, I'll have some of the finest doctors heal that little aliment you've developed."
Ah, right. She remembered this feeling, both of them did.
This was fear.
Not something simply borne of his Aura. No, it was a deep, personal terror Rosa had inside of herself that was only activated by witnessing someone so thoroughly dedicated to eradicating Vampires that he could do so without restraint. After all, she knew that feeling well. A hatred that will consume, enveloping every corner of the heart as one strives for a violent goal. It was something she felt even now, but compared to the endless abyss in front of her, she felt like an anthill to a boot.
Lysa, however, was far worse. Just being laid bare to this presence alone made her tremble, as if the world itself was in front of her, threatening death on her and her alone. She wanted to run. This human, this monster was nothing like the Hunters saw before. Pitiful creatures they were compared to him, she had no doubt that not a single person could face him. Thus, why she held onto the arm of Rosa so tight, for, if she were to let go, she was sure she would fall, and then be easily killed.
Quincy took one step further, and Rosa immediately lifted her rifle in less than a second, pulling the trigger and sending a bullet directly forward towards his forehead. A moment after the resounding firing of the barrel echoed through the desolate land, a tiny boom rang out. Right in the center of the bullseye, the bullet hit him, reaching his skull and, to her surprise, going through.
Almost anticlimactically, he fell to the ground, blood and brain matter gushing out of the bullet hole. Even so, Rosa, her eyes widened at such a sight, kept the gun raised, shaking a bit in place. The tension in the air was palpable, a crushing, threatening weight upon the two.
And it got only worse as the man began to rise, but not in a matter any human, no, any living being should have been able to do. It was as if he went against the very flow of time, rising in a backwards action and returning to the same spot he was before. Then, as if to show just how far gone things were, the bullet's trajectory reversed, leaving Quincy's skull as the wound closed.
The world was silent, everything seeming to be just an illusion for the very moment. One simply could not come to terms with the unnatural phenomenon before their eyes. All that was right was now wrong at that moment, and as the bullet stopped in the middle of the air between the two sides, it fell to the ground as if nothing had happened at all.
"Ah... that was a good shot," He spoke, his voice soft and yet, his expression was far more hateful than before. "On anyone else who didn't prepare, that would have killed them... It's just a shame I can't die, though."
Neither could muster up enough power to say anything in turn, and as Rosa felt the weight of the situation crashing down upon her, she dropped her rifle. A sickening tightness in her chest and throat appeared, as she could do little but freeze and quiver, not even raising an arm in defense. At that point, it seemed utterly pointless.
This situation felt oddly familiar now, but it was no sense of Déjà vu, but a true memory that afflicted her. Being subjected to complete and utter helplessness, powerless against an unfair foe. This sensation. The same as back then.
She didn't see it happen, but suddenly, Lysa was no longer holding onto her. The Vampire was pushed down upon the ground, a large, menacing shadow standing above her. She couldn't move. Of course she couldn't. How could she possibly think to fight back against this man when one attack could end her existence?
And, for Rosa, though she wanted more than anything to move forward, to protect the only thing she had left, she was completely and utterly frozen. Her extremities had gone numb, and try as she might, she was useless.
Useless.
"A painful death is what you deserve, Vampire," He pressed his silver-toed boots upon Lysa's chest, a revolting sizzling forming as blueish smoke rose from the burning spot.
She immediately yelped, her arms trying to grab his foot to try and free herself, but nothing happened. Even her claws could not dig into the boot, a thick layer of invisible aura protecting it. Her mouth opened, her sharp teeth exposed in pain as Quincy applied more force, a cracking resounding in her ribcage. Tears welled in her eyes, her feet kicking with all their might, though compared to his, it was nothing at all.
"No– Stop!" Rosa somehow managed to yell out, though it fell on deaf ears.
He began with her arms. Condensing Aura into his fist, he brought it down at catastrophic speeds upon Lysa's left hand. As it made contact, a blood curdling screech escaped her lips, and all that was left of the part were shattered bone and gore. Everything but her thumb and wrist was gone, turned into nothing more than an unusable mangle of flesh and droplets of blood. Her vision of it blurred from the tears filling in her eyes, the air around her warping from the immense, agonizing throes of pain surging through her.
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"LYSA!" She screamed, watching from afar as he then moved upward, destroying her forearm in one crushing blow, an action of which caused Lysa to once again yell out in agony. The only sound audible in the empty expanse, and it pierced through Rosa's ears, almost nauseating to hear.
With one more crash, Lysa was without her right arm entirely. Completely lost, nothing but a bloody pool left behind from the action. He didn't say a single word as he continued, bringing a leg upwards before stomping downwards, this time straight upon her knee.
"Please, stop!" Rosa pleaded, tears filling her eyes as she knelt. "Please... I... I can't...! Please..." A horrifying desperation filled her lungs as she cried out, unable to say anything but words without an end, begging, sobbing, as if it would help anything.
As if anything could help anything.
Snap. Squelch. Crunch.
It was among those noises and the screaming of the one she loved most that she heard it.
'You want him dead, do you not.'
A voice that belonged to herself, one spoken without emotion. It was not heard from anywhere away from her, however, but instead a call from a deep part of her psyche. Something that was part of herself and yet not quite. A being wholly apart from her, yet residing inside of her.
In this moment, where all was despair, and all hope was lost, she could only nod her head. Yes, she wanted him dead, and if she truly could not stand by Lysa's side as she wanted to, she should be the one to enact vengeance. That was, after all, her goal in the beginning. To kill the one that killed her first love, and to bury her properly. Of course it would be so that upon loving again, the very same thing would happen, and once more she would have a target for her hatred.
It was a powerful emotion, after all. One more powerful than anything else, a feeling that she clung onto, that guided her to this day. Thus, she felt out into her heart, gripping tightly onto the hate that existed inside of it, and answered the call.
'In your blood is the desire to destroy, an urge for which is passed down to you from your furthest ancestors. Death is the answer, the ultimate form of destruction. Call not upon any god, but instead your hatred, and let it guide you forward.'
And, when Rosa reached forward, it did not shock her that there was nothing she grabbed. No weapon, no cold hard metal to hold. Just air, empty and alone. But, it was never something to be wielded by hand alone, no such corporeal force could truly find it. No, the object was in her mind, and as she mentally grasped the handle, she felt just what the item was.
A thorn, and upon it was a piece of her love.
'Use that power that is not your own. Rend, rip, tear, destroy that which your heart tells you to. Feel the euphoria of destruction, utter its name and break that which stands in your way.'
She stood, her eyes empty.
'That is who you are, after all. So, aimless destroyer.'
Her fists clenched as Quincy's leg hovered above Lysa's neck, having left her bleeding out upon the dirt as her body struggled to regenerate.
'Kill.'
And, in the next moment, it was Quincy who was left limbless, each appendage suddenly wrought the same fate of Lysa, maimed by an invisible, unknowable force. With equal force he was sent hurtling away, crashing upon the ground as dust rose up.
He saw it, then, as his Technique automatically activated and returned his position and limbs to him. A possibility he saw in Rosa once before, and that he knew was true in that moment. Blackened eyes of the night, those of which belonged to one with an accursed hate. The most primal of originators, a signature he himself knew well.
There was, after all, no greater amplifying force than hate. True hatred born of the soul.
Moving away from the Vampire flickering in and out of consciousness, he turned to face Rosa. Upon activating Aura Sight once more, he was met with a horrific sight, a veritable forest in the sky. For, a vast Aura consumed her every part, encircling her like vultures come to consume. Infinite and formless if he stared upon it for too long, but even so, there was something even more odd than what was frightening.
After all, this Aura signature did not belong to a human. A Vampiric Aura, thought not just any, for in it was the very same properties of the Vampire he had just tortured. It was as if a large percentage of it had been stolen away from her, and turned into something else. A terrible amalgamation of Venom and Human Hate, a force unlike any other, contained within the very body of a woman who had not been turned, who, by all means, was more human than even a Hunter.
Curious.
The world spun, very suddenly, what looked to be a foolish recreation of a Phantom Weapon appeared in her hand. Rudimentary, simple, she who had not even witnessed a true application of the Technique imitated the design. Perhaps to spite him, however, she uttered something along the lines of what he spoke once before when demonstrating Aura.
"Phantom Weapon: Black Rose." And through that lifeless phrase, her Aura refined itself ever so little into something closer to the true design. The sickening sound of flesh-like string ripping filled the air as it contorted, black tendrils wrapping around the hand grasping the now forming handle. It stifled itself, black and swirling still yet no longer formless as the tendrils sharpened and formed into thorns, slicing portions of Rosa's hand and forearm, though she never did react to it. The weapon itself only became larger, sprouting into something more akin to a halberd, A sharpened blade forming upon the side, and a piercing spear growing like a blooming flower at the tip.
She felt nauseous. It was true, everything she had been given was her own hate, though none of it was her own power. It was only through applying it forcibly through her immense hatred could she summon Aura like this, though it was not her own. She reached out to the dormant, built up Aura in Lysa, and was answered in kind. A gift, a saviour. She did not know how to control it, nor how to create more, but it was there, wrapping her body like a frigid blanket.
But, she felt that it was not entirely Lysa's. For, as it stood, it was Rosa's blood that ran through her veins, marking them as one. True and pure, no matter where it went, it could have only been gifted from her, from the one she loved. She, too, felt something of hers run through her veins as it stood, a remnant of a union, the formation of their symbiotic existence. If one did not contain the love of the other, they would surely be destroyed by this insatiable power. In that, she knew, she wished to truly be one with her.
That was enough for this aberrant form of the first flower, formed through both in equal force. It was Rosa who made the first move towards Quincy, her mind hazy, her eyes unfocused, though her body in the best condition it had ever been. Almost more alive than alive could be, a paradoxical form of life.
Everything became a blur. In an instant, her spear was swung down, slicing his shoulder, and in the next, it stabbed through the center of Quincy's chest, puncturing the heart. All for naught, her very autonomy was reversed as Quincy's state was returned to the previous seconds, and as a counter, she kicked him in the stomach. Again, though, as he distorted, he was brought right back in front of her, his eyes narrowed as he sidestepped her next slash.
More and more times the scene played in an endless loop. Attack, reverse, attack, reverse, attack, reverse. It was endlessly repeating, a fight one could only truly see in a slow motion recording of the two. To a spectator, nothing was even happening for that brief moment, but no moment at all, and yet, an eternity in that space.
Eventually, Rosa stumbled back, but was brought back to reality as a sudden force struck her in the side of the head. A non-lethal bullet encased in a thick, penetrating field of muddy brown aura, something that was by no means non-lethal any longer. However, contrary to her expectations, she was undamaged even as she got knocked back, her eyes meeting a rifle wielding woman from hundreds of meters away.
Before she could process what to do next, however, a Phantom dagger the same shade as grass met her back, fighting with the Aura surrounding her as it tried to penetrate it. She whipped her head back, met with the sight of a short, stout man wielding the weapon, his green eyes narrowed upon her.
"Thought you should get introduced to your soon to be classmates!" Quincy's voice called from behind her, drawing her attention. Before she could even turn to begin trying to defend herself, his fist planted itself upon the back of her head, and for a brief moment, there was nothing.
It was as if she was frozen in time, left without her senses. This black void completely engulfed her before an extreme impact sent her forward, making contact with the ground at a speed of which knocked her back into the air, something that Quincy took full advantage of by kicking her in the stomach as she did to him before.
She was sent back, hurtling into the ground as blood dripped from her mouth and nostrils, but as if by pure instinct, she slammed her halberd into the dirt, stopping her momentum, panting. Just by a bit, her Aura failed to protect her, and the leftover force from Quincy's attack left her bruised.
Like before, however, she had a trick. Unconsciously activating a Technique that did not belong to her, Quincy was knocked back just as she was, blood spurting from his mouth and nose. The two new foes Rosa was met with didn't seem concerned at all about the man, the closest one keeping a cautious distance as he waited for Quincy's technique to bring him back, while the other reloaded.
Rosa's eyes were drawn to the armoured vehicles, cargo truck, and motorcycles approaching from afar, the soldiers upon them ready with their rifles pointed her way. Her mind was drawing a blank, and with those eyes upon her, the sickly sense of shame and fear overwhelmed her. For a moment, her hate escaped her, but as she laid eyes upon the barely breathing body of Lysa, it came back in full force.
"Fire!" An unfamiliar voice called out, and a hail of bullets soon descended upon her. Many hit, but her Aura was just enough to block them as she quickly darted out of the line of fire.
She felt an immediate urge to kill the sources of these shots, but this plan was put aside as she felt a force hit her back once more, the man from before having gone unnoticed until now. Once again, it didn't break through, but she could feel the layer weakening already. That was furthered by another Aura Enhanced bullet striking her, this time in the forehead, hitting her skin, but stopping short of penetrating it.
Her heart raced, she was being put into a corner with no way out. She couldn't think straight, and so, she had no choice but to allow instinct take over, dodging left and right from their incoming projectiles as the sound of gunfire resonated in her eardrums. At times, it was like something else entirely was controlling her movements, for with every turn her eyes couldn't help but focus on something particularly overwhelming to her desire for destruction.
The largest target of that was the one being here who seemed truly invincible, Quincy himself. However, she couldn't quite figure out how she was going to end him. There was no weakness to whatever he was doing, every attack she made completely and utterly useless. Thus, she moved onto the one pattern she had figured out.
As Quincy approached her, she pretended to focus her attention upon him, and right before he was about to attack...
A yelp sounded out from behind her as she felt movement upon the black thorns she sent out, encircling her prey like numerous serpents. Blood dripped down from her arm as it was freed from the thorns, however, small holes present around the appendage. That, too, was the condition of the trapped, dagger wielding man, who desperately tried to cut himself free. The thorns, however, were far more durable than even the Aura which protected Rosa, something she took note of as she spun and parried a blow from Quincy for the first time.
Their eyes met for a moment, and while he was recovering, Rosa hit him with the back of her halberd, quickly turning it afterwards to pierce him through, pushing the spear into the ground. She let go of it right before the reversal occurred once more, allowing her free movement while he was recovering.
Like she predicted, her thorns connected to the halberd stayed put even as they were affected by the reversal, keeping the short man trapped as well. Finally, Rosa saw an escape, one of which she planned to take full advantage as her hate calmed itself and her fear began to take over.
Moving out of the way of a sniper round hurtling her way, she used the cover of the two Enforcers to reach the car, using every last bit of the Aura encircling her to move fast enough. This left her completely without defense, however, and though one of the many bullets from the soldiers struck her thigh, she did not stop.
She freed the car from the collapsed concrete, pushing it forward with all her might as she went to get Lysa, and her rifle. Yet, just as she grabbed hold of the latter, her movement was suddenly restricted, the sounds of bullets tearing apart fabric and flesh meeting her ears. A muffled yell escaped her lips as a far more powerful bullet struck her stomach, just barely missing her chest as she moved forward. The scorching pain soon became numb, however, as adrenaline once again took effect.
In no time at all, and before either of the two trapped Enforcers escaped, she made it to the car that had been now pushed hundreds of meters away in mere moments. Rushing to put Lysa, who was now much lighter than usual, into the car, along with her rifle, she began to follow behind, placing both hands on the back, accelerating at a pace the vehicle could only dream of reaching.
She speedily changed its trajectory to the nearby forest, ignoring the road to lose the forces she assumed were following as soon as possible. The car soon skidded upon the grass, trees smacking and cracking against its metal exterior, jostling the vampire inside violently as the wheels spun fast enough to roast the foliage they moved upon.
Wind whipping past her, hair flailing wildly, and teeth tightly clenched, Rosa's stomach felt as if it was slowly climbing up her body, a rising nausea with no end. Still, she forced her legs to move, even as her entire body screamed at her to stop, even as the sensation of something burning through her circulatory system became clear.
When she felt the Aura formed into the Phantom Weapon she wielded before returning to her, she somehow found more energy within herself to move.
That's all she could do now, after all.
-
It felt like hours before she stopped. She didn't know where they were, but she did notice they left the forest a long time ago, and then entered a completely new one, running still until her borrowed Aura ran out.
Her hands fell off of the car for the first time, reddened and bloodied by how tight her grasp was. She could barely move her fingers, and they shook uncontrollably as she fell to her knees. Even still, she somehow managed to crawl forward to the door where she knew Lysa was, tearing it open, a few tears falling from her eyes upon seeing her there, covered in blood.
For a moment, it felt like the world was silent, Rosa gripping onto the regenerating mass of flesh in the place of her wrist, finding the slightest bit of solace in the slight rising and falling of her chest. Though she was heavily wounded, her heart and head was intact, and for now, that was what mattered.
During however long she was pushing the car, Lysa's limbs had begun to regenerate, though it was clear the only thing that was finished was the bones, everything else barely half complete. Muscle and flesh hung onto barely covered bone, exposed for the world to see. Rosa's reaction was almost the same as back then, a feeling of acute loss as if an essential piece of her was destroyed, but with Lysa's condition, she was sure she would recover in time. All she needed was blood, and though she was bleeding, she believed she had enough to give.
Almost immediately, as if she was compelled by some ghost of necessity, she brought Lysa down to her level, resting her against the car as their eyes met for a brief moment. Lysa's silver eyes were flickering red, but mostly unfocused, glassy and pained.
Upon seeing her like this, she checked her own body for the easiest to reach wound for Lysa to drink from. Her arms were covered in tiny scratches, but those punctures were far too small to save her. Her thigh was bleeding from a bullet hole, but the thick fabric of her pants was in the way. The blood spurting from her stomach, however, was barely blocked by her shirt, and it was something she could remove in mere moments.
She twisted her arm a tad as she took off her coat, but it didn't impair her ability to then remove her shirt, leaving only a black sports bra covering her upper body. The wind hitting her body made her shiver, but she knew compared to the pain Lysa was going through, it was nothing.
As Lysa watched, nearly completely motionless, Rosa once again adjusted her position, bringing her face to the bullet wound on her stomach. "... Drink... Please." She practically pleaded with her in between deep, painful breaths.
She needed little convincing as her now pale tongue slowly moved from out of her dry mouth, pressing into the bloody hole, swallowing in tune with each aortic push of Rosa's heart. It stung Rosa, a horrible sensation that made her grit her teeth and tighten her now weak grasp upon Lysa, but she told herself again and again that she'd get through it.
Not for herself, but for her.
Moments passed of only uncomfortable agony, but it gradually lessened as time went on. Eventually, it was just numb, a sensation shared with each of her extremities. Her body was finally relaxing from being pumped with adrenaline, exhaustion slowly setting in. The scariest part, however, was that she didn't know if that was just from overexerting herself, or a slowly oncoming death.
Perhaps both.
However, as Lysa's once dry veins were filled once more, the healing process began once more. In what felt like mere moments, skin had begun to cover the reforming flesh of her arms and legs. As it grew ever so closer to a full recovery, Lysa's eyes began to focus, the colour, or lack thereof, returning to them as Rosa's face remained in view.
Sweat trickled down the side of her face as her heartbeat slowed, that of which was met with the increasing speeds of Lysa's heart. Rosa smiled, but couldn't quite bring herself to say anything with her sore vocal cords.
As Lysa began to proverbially awaken, Rosa thought it would be a good time to fall asleep. To her body, it felt like no problem at all, the same as each night spent with Lysa. Her eyelids had long since grown heavy, and she felt strangely comfortable in the arms of her lover. It only just felt so odd, for even when she's in her lap like this, Lysa usually has a look of enjoyment and glee, but this time, her expression was that of abject horror.
She was brought back to the brink by the sound of Lysa's voice frantically calling her name, and she managed to open her eyes just a bit.
"N-no... Rosa, please, look at me..." She begged, a noticeable tremble in her words. "H-how much did I take? Oh, god, no no no... Stay with me, please, don't– don't go..."
Ah, right. She promised Lysa something, right? The memory of hours ago was fuzzy, but even now she could recall it in detail.
"We... we're s-somewhere safe, now." Rosa began, her voice exceptionally quiet and weak. Did she always sound like this? So frail, as if a gust of wind could knock her over.
Lysa's eyebrows raised a tad as she murmured back, "What– what do you–?"
She was caught off guard as Rosa's arms moved around her neck, pulling her down into a kiss. Her own lips were chapped, a contrast to the pleasantly soft ones of Lysa's, but that didn't seem to bother either. It was passionate, yet tender in the same sense, letting go of her need to fight just for a little while, to bask in this lovely warmth. She'd never felt Lysa this warm before, it was truly wonderful.
Lysa, however, was horrified by just how cold Rosa's lips were, her own being the only warmth to be shared between them. To feel their lips together felt like a cruel taunt from the world as tears slothfully ran down her cheeks.
When she pulled back for air, Lysa shakily spoke, "You're... still bleeding. This isn't– Isn't the time, R-rosa..."
"I wanted... to at least fulfill that promise, though..." She said with an unsteady tone, trying to maintain eye contact with the other as much as she could.
"Don't... don't say that. You'll– you'll be able to do the others, too," Lysa assured, attempting to muster up a smile as her tears continued to fall. "Don't act like you're..." She couldn't will herself to say it.
She slowly moved her hand to her cheek, wiping the tears away. "... If I am, t-though... I don't want to leave you without saying goodbye. I could... never do that..." Her already quiet words were getting more and more difficult to hear, her voice nearly lost completely.
A sob racked Lysa's body as she pressed her forehead against the other's. "You're not... You're– don't say goodbye, stop it. Y-you said you'd live." She tightened her hold onto Rosa, unwilling to let her go. "You promised... you... told me so..."
"... I l-love..." As the weight became far too much, she released what she felt would be her last word in a while. "You."
Lysa froze as she watched Rosa's eyes close, her breath almost stopping entirely. Short, quiet intervals of inhale and exhale were the only sign that her lungs still functioned, and even that was questionable in nature.
She wasn't sure if that would last either.
"Oh god... No... no, no. This can't... this can't..." She choked out, her eyes stinging. "Please, wake up... wake up..."
"Don't go– Don't. Please..."
"I can't..."
"N-not without you..."
"...Rosa..."
The forest was silent, not even the wind daring to move.