Everyone pulled to a stop as Claus held up his hand. They were in the hall that led to the throne room.
"Now I expect this place to be heavily guarded. You're going to have to a keep a sharp eye out and do whatever you can to get into that room. If we get split up, keep going. I'll see you guys when all of this is over." He said with grim determination. Fawn looked at Travis, for once she could actually see his uneasiness showing. Claus peeked around the corner.
"It's as I expected, get your weapons ready." Fawn pulled her gun out. They were so close to ending this. Claus charged out and began firing. Everyone followed and shots began to volley all over the place. Fawn stayed positioned around the corner, while everyone took places of cover. There were over a dozen guards and Fawn was worried until she saw that the group was pinned in the hall by another rebel group. The Black Ivy soldiers were surrounded and they weren't about to go down without a fight. Fawn choked down her fear and began firing. Travis was across from her, unloading who knows how many bullets on the soldiers. Sean was beside him, they kept shifting. One fired while one reloaded. It didn't take long for Claus's group to begin overtaking the group. Fawn heard the sound of pounding footsteps behind her and turned. A group of Black Ivy soldiers were headed right toward her, reinforcements. The leader signaled them to stop suddenly. Fawn watched as the mysterious leader took off their helmet. Beach blonde hair and cherry red lips smirked at her.
"She's mine boys, go help out the others." Ruth dismissed her group. The soldiers ran by Fawn, a few bumping into her. Fawn didn't have much time to call out to her friends, but sudden shouting told her they had spotted the advancing group. Ruth kept her gun in it's holder.
"Well isn't this just beautiful." She laughed. Fawn tightened her grip on her pistol.
"Leave me alone." She said defensively. Ruth quirked an eyebrow.
"You're shaking dearie, I doubt you have the guts to shoot me." She smiled devilishly. Ruth took in a deep breath.
"You don't know how long I've been waiting for this. Do you know I was actually afraid of losing Garth to you there for a little bit?" She chuckled, "But now, with you gone, all have his full attention and love." Fawn stayed tense.
"Garth is a madman, he's incapable of loving. He's an animal." She said sternly. Did Ruth really think he cared about her that much? Hadn't she seen how careless he was, the overseer could change personalities like a light switch. Ruth features hardened.
"You're a liar. I know him better than you." Fawn heard a crash behind her and it caught her attention for a second. A second was all Ruth needed. Fawn was flung back and her gun went flying out of her hand. Ruth charged her, a knife unsheathed. Fawn rolled away as the girl aimed a stab, just missing the blow. Ruth whirled around.
"I want to watch you bleed and I want to watch you suffer." The girl hissed, spit flew out of her mouth. Fawn reached for her gun, but Ruth kicked it away, tackling her. Fawn was flattened onto her back and Ruth straddled her body, raising the knife. On instinct, Fawn grabbed the girl's wrist, grunting with the effort of keeping the knife away from her face. With the other hand, her fingers inched along the floor, knowing her gun was close to her. Ruth was pushing hard with the knife, her face twisting in anger.
"You are nothing!" She growled, shoving the knife closer to Fawn's shoulder. Fawn knew she wasn't going to able to hold the knife up for too long and when Ruth lunged again, she hit her target. Fawn shrieked in pain when the knife caught top of her shoulder. It didn't stick all the way in and Ruth pulled it out with a victorious smile.
"Ahhh!" Fawn groaned, rolling with pain underneath the girl. Ruth leaned close to her face.
"You're nothing but a useless wretch." The girl smiled and raised the knife again. Fawn's hand closed around the handle of her pistol.
"That's where you're wrong." She said and swung the gun up, hitting Ruth in the temple. Ruth fell off of her and Fawn jumped up. Ruth was already on her feet and she lunged with her knife aimed high. Fawn dodged her weapon, the point of her gun pushed into the girl's abdomen. She pulled the trigger. Ruth's charge halted and she made a sort of choking sound. Fawn closed her eyes, feeling something warm run onto her hand. She stepped back. Ruth stood there with her mouth opened in a silent gasp. Fawn swallowed as the girl looked at the gap in her stomach and tried to babble something. Blood was coming out of her mouth. Fawn quickly unzipped a pocket in her vest, pulling out one of the shots Claus had given them. She plunged the needle into Ruth's arm and the girl collapsed. Fawn sighed, at least she could die in her sleep, instead of watching Fawn with wide eyes. Wincing, Fawn placed a hand on the knife piercing in her shoulder. It was bleeding decently. She limped back toward the corner, noting that the gunfire had seemed to slow. It was clear that the Black Ivy had almost been completely picked off. Her earpiece lit up.
"Fawn, where are you?" Travis's upset voice rang through the earpiece.
"Around the corner." She said and poked her head out. Travis was just outside the throne room door. He looked at her while Sean fired.
"What happened?" He asked. Fawn pressed the earpiece.
"Ruth showed up and wanted a personal fight." Fawn watched his brow furrow.
"Are you okay?" Fawn tried to peek at her shoulder, it burned with pain.
"I could be worse." She said with a grunt. He took a step forward, but Fawn saw that Sean was signaling him to run into the throne room.
"No. I'll be fine. You go." She said firmly. Travis looked torn.
"But you're hurt!" He exclaimed. Fawn smiled softly.
"I'll live. You have the chance to end all this, do it." She looked deep into his green eyes.
"I love you." She said in a soft voice. Travis blinked.
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"I love you too." He said, his voice cracking. She watched him slowly back peddle and then run through the throne room door. Fawn's back pressed against the wall.
"Please come back to me." She whispered aloud.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Travis stopped as the throne room doors slammed shut behind him. In front of him stood Sean, frozen in place and just across the room, a maniac who called himself king. He was sitting on his throne with legs crossed and hands clasped together. Garth tilted his head back and laughed before looking at both of them.
"I was wondering when you would show up Travis, but Sean, this is quite a surprise I must say." Travis wanted to flatten him. Sean's hand curled into a fist.
"You killed Leah." He said. Garth tilted his head once again.
"Oh yes, it seems I did. I do remember that one. Tell me, Sean, have you ever seen the light go out of someone's eyes? It's most empowering." Sean shook with anger.
"Shut up!" He barked. Garth moved his gaze over to Travis. He was no longer the calm and composed overseer, he had become a murderer.
"Travis, my old friend. How's that shoulder of yours?" Travis hated this stalling, all he wanted to do was strangle Garth. Garth raised an eyebrow.
"Not in the mood for talking I see. Well how's Fawn? I hear Clay gave her quite the go around before he was killed." Travis narrowed his eyes and Garth smirked, knowing he had struck a nerve.
"Don't you talk about her, you snake." He said angrily. Garth stood up.
"Did she ever talk about our nights together? Such a pure little thing that she was..." Travis was beginning to lose patience.
"You be quiet. You took almost everything from her. Do you know was that has done to her?" He asked. Garth laughed.
"Oh, I counted on the damage. My only regret is that she didn't end up with my spawn. How humiliating that would have been for you. Of course, if she was pregnant you still wouldn't know just yet." Travis took out his gun, cocking it in one easy movement.
"Enough talking." He growled. Travis heard another gun cock and out of his peripheral vision he saw a barrel pointed at his skull, with a sinking feeling he noticed it was Sean's. Garth smirked.
"Now this is a predicament." Travis looked at Sean.
"What are you doing?" He asked through ground teeth. Sean didn't look like a traitor, but he was acting like one now.
"Let me shoot him, Travis." He said in a level tone. Travis blinked, that was what this was about.
"You really want to kill me because I'm going to shoot the mastermind behind all this chaos?" He asked. Sean was sweating.
"He took everything from me, Travis. I want to watch him die for it, at the hands of my own weapon." Garth was watching with a sort of mocking look on his face, enjoying the strife. Travis swallowed. He'd been waiting on this moment. Of all the people he'd shot in the past, he'd never wanted blood spilt more than Garth's. All he had to do was pull the trigger and this would over. He thought about Fawn. Garth had taken so much from her and Travis could feel it. She hadn't been the same and he doubted that she ever would be. Sean wasn't the only one suffering from loss. Now he had the chance to kill the monster that started it all and Sean was standing in his way. With a long sigh, Travis put his gun back down.
"Have it your way." He growled at Sean. The boy nodded.
"Thank you." Travis glared at him, that was hardly the right words to use. Garth looked at Sean.
"Would you have me kneel?" He asked with a sneer. Sean put the gun to his forehead.
"Your reign ends here." He said with a growl. Garth closed his eyes.
"Do what you must then." Something about the way Garth said those words grabbed Travis's attention. He was about to warn Sean, but the words came all too late. Garth opened his eyes in a flash, dodging his head to the side. He slammed his elbow into Sean's face and the overseer stumbled, his grip on the gun now loosened. Garth yanked it out of his hands.
"You're stupider than I thought." He laughed and fired the pistol. Sean spun around, landing face first on the throne room floor. Travis drew his weapon immediately and Garth was prepared, swinging the barrel towards him. Garth grinned at him.
"Your friend there is just foolish." He referred to Sean who still hadn't moved. Travis glared at him.
"You are a monster." He growled. Garth smirked.
"I am what this world needs." He laughed. Travis looked into Garth's brown eyes. They were lifeless, void of all feeling. He truly was a man consumed by evil.
"You had to know you weren't going to win." Travis said, holding his gun tightly in front of him. Garth smiled.
"I knew someone would kill me, most likely you. Do you want to know what all of this was for?" He asked Travis. Travis really didn't care, all he wanted to see was Garth's dead body.
"I wanted to watch a society crumble in on itself. To watch a country fall apart from the inside. By their own doing." Travis couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"You really are heartless." He said in a low tone. Garth smiled.
"When I was born, I cut out my own heart because they are useless." Travis looked at him.
"I'm tired out this. You're done terrorizing the lives of hundreds of people. No one will be afraid of you any longer." Garth smirked.
"You're going down with me." He said. Travis didn't break eye contact with the other boy. He told Fawn they were both making it out of this alive, but now he had a choice. He could let Garth live and stay alive another day, another day to be with Fawn or he could let Garth go. Travis took a deep breath, Garth held a smug look, seeing the boys internal struggle.
"Is she worth that much to you?" He mocked. Travis glared at him.
"She's worth more to me than she ever was to you." Garth shrugged.
"I would imagine, she was only a play toy for me, a means for pleasure." The boy said, his voice was laced with a venomous tone. Travis ground his teeth.
"Do not talk about her, you took her from me." Travis seethed. Garth's finger twitched by the trigger.
"Make me pay for it then." He cackled. Travis looked down and let out a hard breath before looking back up at the sky.
"I'm sorry," He said quietly. Travis turned his eyes toward Garth, glistening with emotion, "I cannot let you go." He said. Garth looked genuinely surprised and quickly pulled the trigger on his pistol. Travis fired simultaneously after him as pain exploded in his chest. Garth fell down.
"I poorly misjudged you my friend." The boy choked out with a smile, pressing a hand to his bleeding chest. He looked at the blood on his fingers with a sick interest.
"I always wondered what it was like to die." He mumbled before limply sliding to the floor. Travis sucked in a breath before falling backwards. His chest was warm and wet. He slowly leaned back so that his back was against the floor and he could see the ceiling. Travis's vision was bleary and his thoughts were slow. The polished pillars of the throne room seemed to throw off odd glares. Travis blinked, something wet was dripping down his cheeks. The overseer reached up and wiped away the tear before letting out a pained laugh. Blood clogged the back of his throat.
"I never could stay out of trouble could I?" He asked the empty room. There was a loud banging noise across the room, but Travis didn't have the strength to try and look at who it was. The scream that resonated across the room told him exactly who.
"Travis!" Fawn screamed in anguish.