"I'm going to kill you," said Rafferty, still not looking at Vincent.

"Maybe, but first you need to listen to me," he said.

"You lied about everything," she said, finally turning her head and looking him in the eyes, which were brimming with pain.

"No, no, no. I lied about almost nothing. I admit I left out many, many things," he said.

Rafferty turned her head away again.

"You don't understand. I've watched Alex make people suffer for years. Every time with a big, stupid smile on his face, and a big, stupid reason coming out of his mouth. And now he wants more. He always wants more. You can kill every God walking the Earth and the world still won't be a better place. The game will always be rigged as long as this piece is on the board," Vincent said.

"So why didn't you kill him?" Rafferty asked.

"I tried once. A long time ago. And he did this to me," Vincent said.

Rafferty looked over and saw Vincent struggling to unbutton his shirt. The scar on his neck spread far down on to his chest. She wasn't sure what could have caused it, but it looked large and angry.

"I trIed to run. I joined the Roughcoats. One day he showed up and congratulated me on my brilliant plan, preening about how he had his very own Roughcoat. So, I figured the best I could do was secretly work against him while he thought I was secretly working for him, never really knowing if I was making things better or worse. But then I heard about this girl, this special girl that took down a big monster all by herself, and somehow I just knew."

Rafferty tested her leg, heaving herself up just a bit. It hurt, but she thought she could stand, thought she was probably the least wounded of the three of them.

"No, no, " Vincent said firmly. "He always wins. If you try to just walk over there, he'll shoot you in the face, and a week from now he'll have his crazy followers building some sculpture to commemorate the victory."

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"That's true, Sparkles. I guarantee it," Alex piped up. Rafferty still couldn't seem him, didn't know exactly where he was or how badly he was hurt.

"But this time, I set him up. I dangled this tasty morsel in front of him, his own Hunter, and I watched his eyes get big and hungry. And everything I did after that was to make sure that he was in exactly this place at exactly this time with exactly this girl. And you can do it now, Rafferty, you can end him," Vincent said.

"I'll make you a deal, Sparkles. You ram that sword through Vincent's traitorous throat, and we'll call it square. I'll even let you go, if that's what you want. Instead of being partners, we can be legendary rivals. I'll try to win. You'll try to stop me. One day we'll settle it once and for all, gloriously, in midair, that's what I'm picturing, instead of wrestling on a filthy, blood soaked floor at the behest of this halfwit. What do you say, Sparkles? You must be as mad at him as I am," Alex said. It sounded like he was still sitting on the floor, but his voice sounded stronger than Vincent's.

Am I mad at him? I should be.

She looked at Vincent. He looked back. Rafferty wasn't sure she'd ever seen anyone look so desperate.

But I'm not sure.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked Vincent, barely above a whisper.

"Cody says you can do a thing. She's says it's how you beat the big one. If it can chew up a God, then not even Alex has a chance. I built the pyre, Rafferty, all you have to do is light it. Please," said Vincent.

No. No. No.

"No. It's too big. You're here too. It will…" she said.

"I'll get out. I always do. It's like my defining characteristic. And if not, then at least I got to do something really good for once in my life," he said.

Vincent slid his hand across the floor toward Rafferty. He strained, but it didn't quite reach.

"Maybe twice," he said, looking at her.

"Look, I'm about to pass out. So whatever you decide to do, and whatever color your hair is when you do it, I want you to know two things. Every single thing I felt for you was real, and I like the lavender best," he said, offering a weak smile.

Vincent pointed his gun toward the roof, his hand shaking, and pulled the trigger three times. A shower of glass rattled on the floor.

He had made her a path.

Rafferty grunted as she stood up, still unsure of what she going to do. She could ignore Vincent's warning, and go and fight Alex. She could drag Vincent out of here, and try to get help and answers. She could walk out on both of them and go home.

She could jump.

She heard noise to her left. From the sound of it, Alex was moving. She was running out of time.

"Please," said Vincent, quietly.

Rafferty didn't know what to do.

So she did something.

Rafferty jumped.