Flowers

Amber light greeted Texas as she came out of the dark of the alley, blinking her eyes in an attempt to adjust from the sudden onslaught of light that attacked her. As her vision cleared, Sora and Croissant approached from behind, following the same procedure Texas did as they too were attacked by the light. The street felt familiar, and Texas took note of the red bricked building sitting down the corner of the street. It looked like it once held a sign above its double glass doors, but in its place was a dark rectangular imprint. The windows, or what was left of them, were tinted blue shards left clinging to the window frame, somehow holding on. Trails of LMD were scattered around the outside of the building, and Texas came to a conclusion.

That was The Great Lungmen Bank, which means that Penguin Logistics is right around the corner.

Texas let a small tired smile adorn her face. She was sore all over, covered in blood that didn’t belong to her, and had been fighting for hours now. All she wanted to do was get somewhere safe, get all the blood washed off, and take a nap, preferably for a month.

“We’re almost there guys!” Croissant’s voice called out from behind her as she and Sora took to her sides, eyes finally adjusted from the brightness. “We just need to clear this street, and HQ will be right around the corner!” 

“Yes!” Sora cheered, raising her arms up in victory. “I can finally go take a shower! Care to join Tex-”

Why won’t you just crush on someone else?

“No, I’m married.” Well technically Texas wasn’t. She and Lappland never actually talked about what they were. There was no actual talk about if they were girlfriends, or just very, very close friends with benefits. Of all the emotions shared between her and Lappland, passion and love were some of the most prominent ones that Texas could remember. Texas herself knew that her love was definitely more than platonic for Lappland. There was no denying that. She didn’t just see Lappland as a very good friend. She saw her as her lover, girlfriend, mate, wife, whatever word would be able to describe her love for her partner. 

As for how Lappland saw her… 

I like to think that Lappland sees me the same way.

Texas wasn’t even sure if Lappland would agree with being her wife after she abandoned her. 

And that hurts just a little bit. 

“Your wife can join us! It’ll be so much fun!” 

What the hell Sora. Do you have a wolf fetish or something? Actually that would make sense. You’re using illusion art to make yourself look like a wolf. You also just offered to shower with both Lappland and I. Not to mention the time you came to my shop and ranted about how you would love to fuck a wolf, which was very awkward for both me and my customers. And oh god Sora has a wolf fetish. Why didn’t I see this earlier why the hell do you have-

“I’m not sharing my wife.” Texas said, shoving down her crisis to have at a later date and frowning.  

Before Sora could say another word, Croissant stepped in.

“Ok Sora, stop messing with Texas. As fun as it is to watch, let’s focus on getting home. But speaking of Texas’s wife…” Croissant turned to stare at Texas. “Will your wife be fine on her own? We haven’t actually met her, and you haven’t seemed to be worried about her at all. We can go and pick her up. After we drop off our resident trouble maker of course.” 

Even if Lappland was in Lungmen, I doubt anyone would be capable of harming her.

Ignoring Sora’s offended “Hey!” Texas replied to Croissant.

“Oh, yeah she’ll be fine. She’s very good at fighting. Lappland can also be pretty… intimidating.”

Swords flashing through the air. Lappland’s laughter echoing off walls as screams chased after it, but were much too short to catch up to it. People crying for their mothers. Blood covering every inch of surface. Flooring and walls ripped up from their foundations as arts cleaved through the surfaces. Bodies scattered all over the place. 

But she can also be pretty sweet.

A later complaint from Lappland about how annoying it was to get blood out of her fur as Texas helped her scrub it out at their home. Lappland holding Texas close as they watched some crappy soap opera Lappland had a liking to. Lappland blushing as she surprised Texas with breakfast in bed. The loving smile Texas received whenever Lappland caught her eyes. The constant worry the white wolf produced whenever Texas received even the smallest injury. How Lappland’s eyes lit up like jewels when Texas accepted the rings now pierced into her left ear. 

The memory made Texas absentmindedly reach up and drag her fingers over the smooth surfaces of the two black rings, a smile coming back to her face.

Lappland had been so happy when I took these rings from her. 

The day she got her two black rings was one of Texas’s happiest memories. Lappland had suddenly dropped to one knee in front of Texas while she was sitting on their scruffed up purple couch, pulled out the two rings from her pocket, said some very sappy stuff Texas was too embarrassed to remember fully, and had nervously asked Texas if she would accept them. Flustered,Texas had said yes, confused as to why Lappland was doing this.

Why was Lappland so nervous about me taking these rings?

After watching a very happy and relieved Lappland bounce all over their living room while dashing back erratically to kiss her for five minutes straight, Texas had just pulled Lappland onto the couch with her. What followed was lots of cuddling, lots of crappy soap opera, five phone calls to five different restaurants to order their favourite foods, and a very pleasant night. Before the two of them had passed out in each other's arms on their queen sized mattress, Lappland had whispered how much she loved Texas and how she was the only one for her, and pledged to love her even past her death. Texas had done something similar, and they fell asleep. 

Wait. Texas’s mind stopped for a second, before analyzing that day once more. 

We made vows, ate our favourite foods, almost broke the bed later, and she kneeled in front of me and gave me rings… did we… get married?

Texas felt an unwelcome blush crawl up her face.

I’m going to think about this later, probably after I worry about Sora’s wolf fetish oh god.

Outside of Texas’s thoughts, an audience composed of only Croissant and Sora watched as Texas continued to stand in place, watching as her dopey smile (and wasn’t that smile a surprise to Croissant and Sora) and red face turned somewhat calculating, dumbstruck, and then settled on horror after her face turned pale white. 

“Ya know, we should probably snap ‘er out of it.”

“No! This is the most expressive I’ve seen Texas since I met her! Please just keep her like that for a few more minutes!” 

Despite Sora’s desperate plea, Croissant went ahead and gave Texas a rough shake, quickly snapping the wolf back to reality with a startled expression. 

“Ye back with us now Tex?” 

“What? Oh… yeah I’m back, sorry. Let’s get going.” Texas smoothed her face back into her usual bored expression she wore and began walking towards the bank, oblivious to the weird looks shot at her back by Croissant and Sora.

Sora and Croissant followed her lead, and the group started to cautiously make their way over to the bank, with Texas in the lead, Sora in the middle, and Croissant in the back. 

The group's eyes constantly scanned the abandoned street in search of any hidden enemies. Compared to the low number of Reunion in the alleys they had travelled by, it was surprising that there were no enemies in plain sight out on the street. The alleys weren’t crowded with Reunion per se, but there was still such a low amount hidden in them that it seemed odd for the streets to be so empty. 

“Ya know, it’s strange how the streets seem to be so empty. When Sora and I came out to find ya, the place was infested with those Reunion folks. I’d bet a pretty penny that they’ve gathered up elsewhere.” Croissant said as they made it to the bank, stepping over the various glass shards on the ground. “Probably planning something big.”

“Possibly.” Texas replied. “Let’s just hope we’re not caught up in it.” 

Texas turned around the corner of the bank, smiling a bit as her eyes caught onto the tall building of Penguin Logistics, and then frowning as her eyes caught onto the commotion going on in front of the building. 

Oh you’ve got to be kidding me.

Sora and Croissant came around the corner and bumped into Texas’s solid form, both nearly falling because of Texas’s unexpected stop. Sora spoke up first after catching herself.

“Why’d you stop Texas? Were you waiting for us to catch up?” Sora inquired, looking up at the back of Texas’s head as her height worked against her, unable to see Texas’s resigned expression, and blocking her view of Penguin Logistics.

Croissant stood off to the side, getting a perfect view of their current problem.

“Sora, look up ahead past Texas.” Sora followed Croissant’s advice and peeked around Texas. 

“Oh.”

Up ahead, fighting in the middle of the street and blocking off the path to the black building that was Penguin Logistics, was at least 200 Reunion members, fighting what appeared to be a group of people called Rhodes Island. Or at least, that’s what their uniforms said.

I swear the news said that they were a pharmaceutical company. Not a military. Texas thought as she watched a Reunion member’s face get torn in half by a chainsaw wielding cat.

Maybe they meant insane asylum. Chainsaw wielding cats shouldn’t be this efficient in a fight.

Despite the distance, Texas could still hear the fight. She could hear the sounds of swords clashing, weapons firing, and the screams of the dying and fighting. She could taste the iron on her tongue, the blood that filled the air reaching towards her, beckoning her onwards to join the battle. She unconsciously took a step forward, and was about to take another before she caught herself. 

While Texas had a natural inclination for battle, and every bone in her body was basically screaming at her to join the fray for no reason other than to fight, her brain told her to stay put. She had no reason to join the battle. Croissant and Sora weren’t involved in it, and the whole purpose of them coming to Penguin Logistics was to wait out the rest of the invasion. They just needed to sneak past the fight, and into Penguin Logistics. She turned around to face Croissant and Sora. 

“So, do you two happen to have any ways to get into your headquarters besides the front entrance? Or do we need to go through that?” Texas gestured towards the battle. “I doubt you guys want to join in.” 

“Ya, our baws gave us a few contingency plans in case we needed to sneak into HQ.” Croissant said, reaching a hand into her jacket pocket and pulling out a stained, crumpled piece of paper. “We’ve never had a reason to use any before, but this map here should have something we can use. Just let me open it.” 

Croissant began uncrumpling the paper, revealing a few seconds later to be a complex map showing multiple secret entrances and hidden passages to get into Penguin Logistics undetected. 

“It’s a good thing baws has enough money and influence to build stuff like this.” Croissant said as she admired the many entrances labeled on the map. “It’s pretty useful, not to mention cool.” 

“Wow, you guys even have a zipline hidden somewhere on one of the opposite buildings.” Texas remarked, staring at a corner of the map with zipline labeled in bold text. Croissant’s head jolted up to see where Texas was staring.

“We do? Where?! That’ll be the perfect way to get in!” 

“But it wouldn’t be very sneaky, would it?”

“But Texas, think about it! We’ll zip through the air and get directly home in a flash!”

Texas let out an exasperated sigh. 

“Yeah, and then anyone watching can either follow us or shoot us down. Let’s just pick a different route.” 

“Fine fine, spoilsport. How about this entrance by the bakery? There’s a helicopter in the back we can take!” 

While Texas tried to convince Croissant to find a more secret entrance and Croissant tried to convince Texas to “Have some fun!”, they both failed to notice as a certain idol began to creep towards the battlefield.

Sora knew getting closer to the fight wasn’t the brightest idea, she knew! But something had caught her eye. For the briefest of moments, she had seen a flash of familiar red hair somewhere in the back of the brawl. If it was who she thought it was, she couldn’t just stand here and let her friend get hurt. It’s hard enough already to not jump in and help Rhodes Island, but she knew Texas and Croissant would not be happy with her. But if it was Exusiai she was helping… well, they’d probably understand.

They would kill me. Croissant would probably then sell my corpse at some auction for an inane price. 

Sora could imagine it so clearly. Croissant, dressed up in a suit, standing behind a podium, waving her hammer all over the place and calling out prices as the rich people of Lungmen began betting on her corpse, which would be proudly displayed beside the podium for all to see. Her dead body would go well over any reasonable prices, because who doesn’t want to buy the body of a dead celebrity and prop it up in their living room to show to their friends as they sip champagne and talk about exquisite artwork. They’d probably let their friends touch it and say something like “Oh yes, this was a most exquisite piece I picked up at the auction the other day. It’s barely even 4 days dead!”  Sora shivered at the thought.

I should head back! I’m too young to die and be used as a decoration! Besides, I’ll miss the clothing sale that’s supposed to happen next week! Exusiai probably isn’t even here!

Unfortunately for Sora, while she was fantasizing about her death and corpse at the hands of Croissant, she forgot to stop herself from walking forwards. So when she finally started paying attention again with the intent to retreat, she found herself off the ground, being hugged against a familiar red-heads chest with only one arm.

“Exusiai!” Sora gasped out, looking upwards at the laterano and smiling with unrestrained joy. “I’m so happy to see you! I thought I saw your hair earlier! Did you see me outside of the battlefield and decide to join me? I can finally introduce you to Texas!” 

Exusiai gave Sora a strained smile. 

“I would have loved to meet your friend Sora! Except I’m still working, and we’re not outside the battlefield! You walked directly into it, and would have gotten your little head chopped off if I hadn’t seen you and risked my life to rush over here to save yours!” Exusiai’s voice was filled with false cheer, and Sora’s blood ran cold.

“What?” She let out, turning away from the angel and finally noticing that they were in motion. It was like somebody had lit a fire under Exusiai’s ass. The laterano was ducking and weaving and running in a sea of masked faces, moving faster than Sora had ever seen her move before. 

Sora couldn’t see any Rhodes Island members. Cue slight panic. 

The sounds of battle finally filtered into Sora’s ears, making her cringe at the screams, gunfire, and clashing metal.

“Sora, I love you, but why did you need to walk into the bulk of Reunion instead of Rhodes Island?” Her angel friend questioned as she ducked a sword and sucker punched someone aiming a crossbow at them in the gut. “In fact, why did you walk over here in the first place?” Sweating was pooling off the laterno, not used to dodging so many weapons in such a short amount of time. 

“I thought I saw you in the crowd somewhere. I just wanted to come help you…” Sora felt guilty, and watched Exusiai deliver a kick to a surprised caster’s chest. “Wait, why aren’t you using your gun?” Sora asked, only now catching on that the usually armed laterano wasn’t shooting anyone. 

“Ah...”. At this, Exusiai somehow found the time to look sheepish as she used a swordsman as a launchpad and got her free hand nicked by a throwing knife cruising through the air. “I may have dropped it when I came over to help you. My fault, hehehe.” 

We are so dead.

“Fine… we’ll take the jetpacks hidden in the sewers, near the entrance of the manhole cover beside the pizzeria. They should be fast enough for us to get in before someone shoots us down.” Texas said dejectedly, finally agreeing with Croissant, who let go of the map and left it in Texas’s hands to throw up her arms and cheer.

“Yes! Thanks Tex! Ya ready to go jetpacking Sora!” The forte said cheerfully, turning around to look at Sora, only to come up with empty air. “Sora?” Croissant turned back to Texas, who was looking down and busy folding the map. “Tex, do ye see Sora anywhere?” 

Texas shoved the now folded map into her pocket and looked up slightly alarmed. She felt her body tense up in preparation and sniffed the air, before turning to look at the ongoing battle. Her eyes caught on a laterano in the air, holding the familiar form of Sora to her chest, before they both fell right into the sea of Reunion.

“Don’t worry Croissant, she’s over there.” Texas said, tension leaving both her and Croissant’s bodies. 

“Oh good, ya found her.” Relief evident in Croissant’s voice. “For a second there I thought she had charged off into the battle.” 

“...” 

“...”

“Wait a second.”

“SORA!”

“Dammit! Croissant, she’s in the area over there! I’m going ahead, just follow my lead!”

Guess I have a reason to fight now. Texas thought, before tightening her hold on her swords and running ahead of Croissant, preparing to dive into the fray. 

We are having words about this later, Sora.

Oh god we’re gonna die and it’s all my fault! I never even got to try out that pretty dress one of my fans sent me! Sora was panicking, both inwardly and outwardly, thoughts going millions of miles a minute and heart beating erratically out of her chest. Sora was unharmed, but her friend was injured all over. 

Exusiai was heavily leaning on her left leg now, a crossbow arrow sticking out of her right. There was a deep cut on the arm not holding Sora to her chest. She was panting and out of breath. Sweat pooled out of every orifice available. The usual bright halo above her head was dimming. Her eyes were tired and her smile was gone. Her angel friend was slowing down.

Sora had opened her mouth and tried to sing and heal her friend’s injuries. Had tried to help Exusiai in one of her darkest hours, but it was no use. 

It feels like I’m suffocating.

Her mouth would open, but her voice would not flow. Instead of beautiful singing, all that came out were whimpers and half formed words. Her throat was constricting against her will. Sora was too scared, too afraid of death catching up to her, and catching up to Exusiai.

The seriousness of the situation finally hit Sora after that.

We’re going to die, and it’s all my fault. If Exusiai hadn’t come to rescue me, if I had just stayed with Texas and Croissant, she wouldn't have to die because of me. Sora’s mind filled with guilt, sadness, acceptance, every negative emotion you could associate with. 

Exusiai had finally hit her limit, her injured leg gave out on her and she fell onto one knee, struggling to keep herself upright. Her grip on Sora had loosened significantly, and her eyes were half closed. 

“Exusiai” Sora whispered, barely able to get out even her friend's name. “I-I-I-”. Exusiai raised her finger to Sora’s mouth, silencing her. 

“It’s fine, Sora.” She said, giving her friend a sad smile. “I don’t blame you for this.” Reunion members had finally spotted the oddity that was Exusiai and Sora in their ranks, and began to close in on them. Their deaths were getting closer and closer. 

“Hehe, maybe we should have taught you how to be more aware of your surroundings. Or how to fight.

Sora felt something wet hit her face, and she looked up. Exusiai was crying… 

“But if we did that, we would have made less fond memories together.” Exusiai wiped at her tear filled eyes. “There would be less movie nights, less baking accidents, less actual bonding time…”. 

Tears started to leak out of Sora’s eyes. 

“Exusiai” Sora whispered.

“Those memories,” Exusiai continued, “I wouldn’t give up those memories for anything. They’re precious to me, just like you and Croissant are. 

Something like determination and resolve filled Exusiai’s face.

“Thank you for everything, Sora.” Exusiai said, tone sad and accepting. “Just remember, start running once you land, ok?” Before Sora had time to realize what her friend was doing, the laterano’s grip on her suddenly shifted, both of her hands coming up to grab Sora by the waist. The partial hug Sora was wrapped in was undone. Exusiai rose back up to her feet with a surge of energy, swinging Sora down and back, before reversing her motion and- 

-Sora no longer felt hands gripping her. 

She was in the air.

She threw me. 

Her noodle-armed angel friend had thrown Sora high enough into the air to give her a perfect view of the battlefield. Sora twisted midair, only able to watch as Reunion members wielding swords began to close in on her friend, and Sora continued to get farther and farther away. Exusiai had fallen back to one knee, her blood soaking the pavement she kneeled on, yet Sora could still see her smiling.

No. No no no no no no no!

Sora couldn’t let one of her first actual friends die. Before Penguin Logistics, the only ‘friends’ she had were her various managers, and some of her makeup team. After one of her concerts had been saved from a terrorist attack by PL, she had been inspired. 

Sora had started singing for two reasons and two reasons alone. One, she loved to sing. Singing was her passion, and she could not remember a day where she didn’t sing. For as long as she could remember, her dream was to become a singer. So when she received an offer to become an idol and have her music published, it was a dream come true for her.

Two, singing brought people together. That reason could sound silly to most, but it was one of Sora’s reasons. Growing up in Lungmen, she could see how stupid things like infection would divide people, made people fear the other. It caused unnecessary bloodshed, and enforced terrible ideologies that said one person was less equal than another. When Sora went on stage, when she sang for all the world to hear, it brought people together. They forgot about their prejudices, about their differences, and came together just to hear a good song.  

When she had joined Penguin Logistics, met Emperor, Croissant, and Exusiai, she had found a third reason to sing. 

That third reason was to protect. To heal her friends when they got injured. To support them when they needed it. To do whatever she could to make sure they were fine. Even if she couldn’t protect them in the way they protect her, even if it was useless in the end, she would do her best to try anyways, no matter what. 

I can’t leave her alone. Once I land, I’ll race back over to Exusiai. I’ll sing the ones immediately surrounding her to sleep. I’ll heal Exusiai as best as I can, and we’ll escape. 

Her fear washed away, and raw determination began flowing through Sora’s veins. Her gaze hardened, her tears stopped, and her body finally began to descend. Had her path continued, she would have fallen right on top of a caster. Luckily for that caster, a red form had instead used their shoulders as a stepping stone, and leapt upwards to catch Sora. 

“Your friend has a pretty good throwing arm, Sora, though I’m pretty sure she shouldn’t be physically capable of throwing you this far. 

Sora was very surprised at Texas’s sudden appearance. 

“Texas!” 

“Hey. We’re having a talk about this once we get out of this mess.”

Texas landed back on the ground, or more accurately, on an unlucky Reunion medic’s back. 

“Oops.”

Texas shifted Sora to her back, giving her both of her arms back just in time to deflect a sword and cut the offender's head off. 

“It’s like necks are made out of butter these days.” She remarked, before getting off the medic’s back and taking off with Sora in Exusiai’s direction.

“Where’s Croissant?” Sora asked, desperately hanging onto Texas’s back.

She’s like a rocket. A very furry rocket with swords.

“She split up with me and went to where she saw you thrown from. Said that the laterano was a friend of yours. Looked pretty pissed before she charged in. She should be fine.” Texas replied nonchalantly, though Sora wasn’t fooled. She had spent enough time staring at Texas to pick up some of her tells. For example, her left ear twitches when she gets anxious or worried, like right now.

Ha, worrywort.

“Aww. Are you worried about Croissant?”

“No, she’ll be fine.”

“Your ear is twitching and it only does that when you’re worried~”

“It does not only do that when I’m worried.”

“C’mon Texas! Just admit you care!”

“Sora, I will drop you.”

Sora shut her mouth. As fun as it was to tease Texas, she would rather not be dropped while going mach 5.

I’ll tease her when we’re not breaking the sound barrier. 

“We’re here.” Texas grunted out as she jumped and flipped over someone, swifty stabbing them through the head before retracting her sword and landing directly in front of an injured but still living Exusiai and a very mad Croissant. 

Croissant immediately locked onto Sora.

“Sora, if we get out of here, ye better still have energy to run away from me.” 

Ahahah, Croissant is really angry. And there is blood on both her hammer and shield. That’s not intimidating at all. 

“Y-yeah, I’ll keep that in mind. Excuse me Texas.” Sora replied nervously, hopping off of the lupo's back and making her way over to Exusiai, who smiled up at her. 

“You know, you were supposed to stay away Sora, not come back for me. That’s kinda the whole point of a sacrificial play.” Her friend said to her, pulling her into a weak hug that Sora immediately returned. “Though I’m glad you came back with backup.”

“Even if I didn’t have backup, I’d come back for you Exusiai. You’re one of my only friends. I can’t just abandon you.” Sora felt like crying again, but held her tears back. “I’m sorry.” Sora murmured, before she started singing. Her song was quiet, somber, and was only shared with Exusiai. Her friend's wounds began to slowly knit together, nowhere near the speed an actual medic could heal, but still just as effective.  

There’s a deep stab wound on her chest. Croissant must have been a bit late.

“I’m lucky to have you as a friend, Sora.” Exusiai murmured, and this time, Sora let out her tears.

“I’m the one that’s lucky.” Sora murmured back, before resuming her song.

While Sora was healing Exusiai and having a very touching moment, Croissant and Texas were busy slaughtering any Reunion members who got too close. 

The previous Reunion members that were hounding Exusiai were long dead on the ground, all with disturbingly caved in heads. It seems Croissant is taking her anger out on the unlucky masked terrorists. Maybe Sora will be spared from her death.

I’m gonna kill that pipsqueak once this is over. Or not.

Croissant was truthfully relieved that her friends were alive, and not needing funeral arrangements. Really! She was! However, she was also very pissed off. She was pissed that Sora had almost gotten herself killed. She was pissed that Exusiai had almost died. She was pissed that all the time she spent haggling with Texas to get her to use the jetpacks was for nothing. She was pissed that she had to risk both her and Texas’s lives to save her other friends.  

But she was especially pissed off at Reunion. They had the gall to try and kill her friends. 

Croissant would make them regret that. Was making them regret that if the number of heads she’s smashed is any indication.

She raised her shield, blocking a volley of arrows and bullets, before smashing her shield into a swordsman coming from her right, sending them flying back into 3 other Reunion and knocking them all down to the floor. 

We need to get out of here. Every muscle in me body is sore. Sora can’t fight, Exusiai probably can’t either, and Texas is probably more tired than me. We can’t keep this up forever.

Croissant jumped backwards, hissing when a sword lightly cut into her hammer arm, leaving a horizontal slash across it. 

We probably wouldn’t have a chance to make it out alive if it wasn’t for Rhodes Island fighting theother half of their forces.

She brought her hammer down on the person who cut her, hearing the audible sound of their skull breaking even through the haze of other noises lighting up her ears, and they fell to the ground, blood leaking from behind their mask.

Croissant then quickly turned to the right, blocking a crossbolt that would have gone straight through her head if she hadn’t brought her shield up. It pinged off harmlessly, falling to the floor. She risked turning her head to check on her friends, and was partially surprised to see how close she had gotten to Sora and Exusiai. 

As each minute of fighting passed, Croissant was slowly getting pushed backwards, decreasing the size of the small circle her friends were in. When they started, they were lucky enough to somehow have about 16ft between them and Reunion. Now, Croissant would reckon they had about 10ft. 

We really need to get out of here before we’re too late.

Texas’s instincts were going wild. There were too many enemies. Too many sharp objects. Too many everything, all pointed at her and her friends. The most people she’s fought as once would be around twenty, and that was when she was fresh. When she hadn’t already been fighting and running for the entire day. As it was, an army was understandably more problematic for her. 

If I wasn’t so exhausted, I would use my arts to at least clear us a path. But if I did it now, I’d probably collapse.

Texas deflected a sword swing with her own, an uninvited growl coming out of her throat as she stabbed the offender in the stomach with her other sword, wenching it out the left side when she dodged to the left to avoid a knife. 

The Reunion she took her sword out of fell to the floor, screaming for his mother while trying to hold in the blood and whatever else may be streaming out of his wound. Texas inwardly grimaced before resuming her slaughter. Her attacks were getting more wild, less clean and more brutish. Her instincts sang for her to kill in any way possible.

Texas wasn’t used to fighting for this long. Her fights were always quick. Always a definite amount of enemies who had little to no proper training in hand to hand combat. Not an army with at least the basics. She couldn’t fully focus on suppressing her instincts in her exhausted state. 

Now instincts aren’t necessarily a bad thing for Texas. The stronger they are, the more aware she may be of something like a bullet on track to her head. They can essentially help guide her out of danger. However, with instincts like Texas’s, they come with some cons as well. For example, her sudden increased urge to kill and harm, and some less than rational thinking.

So when someone is charging at her like an idiot and tries to slice her arm off, she moves forward, thrusts both swords into their stomach, and pulls them out of their sides, separating their body into two pieces, and leaving them to fall to the floor and bleed to death while screaming. If her instincts weren’t screaming at her like a wailing banshee, Texas would probably have simply decapitated them, killing them quickly, and moved onto the next enemy. 

As it were however, Texas gagged a bit at her own brutality, and dodged backwards as a half hearted swing was aimed at her face, assailant definitely having second thoughts on attacking her due to her… display.

I’m lucky I didn’t get hit for that. If I do that again, I probably will though.

Texas risked a glance around and was surprised to see how much space her group had left between them and the Reunion. 

Dammit, they’re really close now. 

She felt a hand tug at her now blood-red apron, and had to stop herself from stabbing the hand. Texas glanced down and found Sora looking up at her. 

“I’ve healed Exusiai, but she passed out. How are we going to escape Texas?” Sora asked, voice sounding somewhat raspy. 

“Can you still sing?” Texas replied as she continued to watch the Reunion, who were now as weary of their group as they were to Reunion. Which was fair, since they’ve been unable to kill their group after sending about 40 lives at them. They were hesitantly approaching, slowly closing in. 

If they weren’t so hesitant, we’d be dead right now.

“I can still sing, but I don’t think I can use my arts with it anymore. I used most of it to completely heal Exusiai. She was more injured than I thought.” 

Well, plan B it is then. 

“Ok, here’s the plan then,” Texas said, pushing energy into her swords. “I’m going to use my arts to give us an opening to escape. But I’ll probably collapse or pass out since I’m using the last of my energy to power through this. So I’ll need Croissant to carry both Exusai and I, and then for you guys to run as fast as you can out the right side during the chaos.” Texas pointed to the side she was currently facing. 

“Why the right side? Why not something like the side with Rhodes Island?” Sora asked, eyeing the wall of masked faces.  

“The right side has less enemies on it. Rhodes Island is too far away, and we could get caught in any crossfire on that side since my arts probably won’t reach that far in this state.” She replied, legs beginning to slightly tremble under the energy being drained from them. “There’s also a hidden entrance into PL somewhere over there. Go tell Croissant the plan, now please.” 

Sora left her side for about half a minute, and came back with a slightly wounded, bloody Croissant, and a passed out Exusiai in one of the forte’s arms. 

“Ready when ye are Tex.” Croissant grimly said, shield and hammer tucked away, and legs bent in preparation. 

“Ok, my arts will clear us a path between those two Reunion members.” Texas said, pointing at them with one of her swords. “I’ve made sure to aim my arts everywhere but there. If we’re lucky, I’ll manage to kill everyone. If not, my arts will at least paralyze them for a few seconds and give us an opening.”. 

“What is your art Texas?” Sora asked.

Texas could really feel the drain on her body now. She was seconds away from falling on her ass, and she was getting a killer migraine from all the concentrating she had to do. 

I’m probably gonna go into a coma for abusing my body like this. 

“Oh you know, swords.” Texas replied, before finally raising her swords in the air, letting the energy building up in them go, and lighting up the sky with light.

It’s beautiful, Croissant thought, catching Texas with her unoccupied arm as the lupos fell backwards, swords clattering to the ground.

The sky was filled with falling swords made of yellow, luminescent, light. It rained down upon the Reunion forces, stabbing deep into their bodies and making them scream in pain or fall to the ground dead. 

Admire later, get to safety first. 

“Let’s move it Sora!” Croissant yelled over the sudden increase in screams, taking off once Sora nodded at her. They sprinted through the gap Texas had mentioned, passing stunned and dead Reunion members as swords continued to fall onto them. They cleared the Reunion, finally not surrounded by their masked enemies. 

Yes! We’re out!

“Croissant dodge to the left!” Texas’s panicked voice rang out from her right side.

Oh she’s still conscious-

-Croissant felt something hit her left leg and chest, making her stumble and fall to her knees. She hissed at the sudden feeling of the ground impacting her legs and quickly rose back to her feet. She’d check and see how bad it was later. They had to get to safety first. Especially if they were still in range of whatever just hit her. 

“Croissant!” Sora yelled. “You’ve been shot! Someone must have been lucky enough to avoid Texas’s arts!”

Should’ve bashed in some of their heads before we left.

Croissant immediately tried to run, only to nearly fall again as her left leg gave out on her and she barely recovered. 

That’s not good.

“C’mon Sora! Keep moving!” Croissant yelled as the idol just stared at her, worry apparent. She started moving again, limping and dragging her left leg as Sora moved closer to her left side, pressing against Exusiai’s unconscious body and attempting to lessen Croissant’s burden just a little bit. 

They slowly stumbled ahead, luckily not getting shot at again, and got closer to the alley that contained the secret entrance into Penguin Logistics. 

Almost there. 

Croissant’s vision was getting blurry. Blackness was slowly encroaching on the corners of her eyesight. She couldn’t feel her left leg and the weight she carried felt like it would push her into the ground. 

Either I’m extremely exhausted or that shot was more serious than I thought it was and I’m dying. 

They made it to the alley, and Croissant panted in exhaustion, dragging in heavy breaths. She set down Texas next to a wall, who looked more exhausted than her yet somehow was in better condition, and set down Exusiai next to her, before plopping herself on the ground with Sora following suit. 

“Just give me a minute to recover, and we’ll get going.” Croissant panted out, trying to ignore the pain her body was in. Texas and Sora both glanced at her, and Texas opened her mouth.

“Shouldn’t we check your wounds?” The Lupo asked with a bit of worry in her voice, eyeing Croissant’s leg. 

Oh no. Tex actually sounds worried.

“What Texas said.” Sora agreed, also looking at her leg and chest. “It doesn’t look so good.”

That’s not worrying at all. Croissant thought before finally tilting her blurry vision down towards her wounds and wow that is way worse than I thought it was.

Her chest had a hole in it. Blood was gushing out of it and pooling onto her chest and down towards her shorts, leaving streaks of red on her chest. Croissant moved a hand towards her back and found another hole, meaning the bullet had gone straight through. 

The area where the bullet had penetrated her leg was gushing out blood as well , leaving it to pool on the ground beneath it in a puddle. Croissant checked the spot under the bullet wound with her now bloody hand, and found it to be holeless. Meaning the bullet was still inside her leg. 

Wonderful. I’m bleeding to death and can’t walk. 

“Well this is bad.” Remarked Texas, voice and face steeled back into its usual calm, but Croissant knew she was probably worried if what she sounded like earlier meant anything.

“You’re telling me. Be happy ye aren’t on the receiving end of these pretty wounds here.” Croissant said. “Also there are two Soras now. So unless Sora can suddenly duplicate I think I’m dying.

“You’re dying.” Texas nonchalantly replied as she turned to look at Sora, who looked like she was about to start crying again. “You think you can patch her up once we get back to your HQ Sora?” 

“P-probably. I should have enough energy to use my arts by then. Though we should still wrap it up so she doesn’t bleed to death on the way there...” Sora let out a sniffle. “I’d take out the bullet but I’m not a medic, so I don’t want to make it worse. Sorry.”

“It’s fine Sora. Let me just wrap them up and we’ll get going.”

Croissant made to stand, but quickly fell back to the ground in a sitting position before she had even gotten halfway up. 

“Ow.”

Texas let out a sigh, forcing her very tired body to move from its position against the wall and get up.

I am going to be in so much pain later once I can actually feel the rest of my body again. 

“Stay down Croissant. I have enough energy now to at least carry you and Exusiai to PL.” 

That’s a lie and I’ll be killing myself to do it. 

“Oh, ok. I’ll just sit here then and try not to pass out from blood loss.” Croissant reached into one of her pockets and pulled out a roll of bandages. “Ye mind giving me a hand Tex?” 

Texas moved forward and bent down, taking the bandages and gently picking up Croissant’s injured leg, and began wrapping it. 

“Let’s hope this doesn’t get infected.” Texas remarked, quickly finishing Croissant’s leg and moving onto the forte’s chest to wrap her other wound.

“Yeah. That would suck. Ya ever get shot before Tex?” Croissant murmed, eyes drooping in exhaustion. 

“Ow ow ow ow ow ow”

“Oh don’t be such a baby, partner. You’re not that hurt.”

“Lappland, I have about 23 bullets in me because I had to save your ass after you charged at someone with an automatic weapon. I’m pretty fucking hurt. We’re lucky none of them actually hit anything vital or I’d already be dead.”

“Ok, maybe you’re a bit hurt, and maybe I would have died for charging someone with an automatic weapon if you hadn’t saved me, but you’re still being a baby.” 

“Why don’t you go get shot 23 times and we’ll see who the baby is then.” 

“Great idea Texas!” 

“Wait Lappland where are you going? No Lappland, it was a joke get back here!”

“I’ve been shot once or twice.” Texas said, finishing wrapping Croissant’s chest wound. “It’ll hurt for a bit, but you’ll feel better later.” Croissant let out a dry wheeze.

“I’ll take ye word for it. For now, I’m gonna pass out.”

“Croissant that’s the opposite of what you’re supposed to d-”

Croissant’s head luckily landed on Exusiai’s prone form instead of the ground, and Texas sighed. 

We really need to get going. Sora’s been awfully quiet throughout this.

“You ok back there Sora? You’ve been pretty quiet.” Texas waited for Sora to respond, but only got silence. “Sora?” Texas called out, standing back up and turning around to face Sora. “Is something wrong-”

This is starting to become one of the worst days of my entire life.

-A masked figure held Sora at knifepoint, blade positioned in front of the idol’s neck and mere centimeters away from cutting into her flesh. Sora herself was in tears, fear written all over her face. The masked figure was female, with a black mask and matching jacket covering her. Black gloves covered her hands, and what looked like a sheath was attached to one of her arms. Reddish-orange hair peaked out from under her hood, and Texas could spot a tail behind her back. A tail that was somewhat similar to her own, meaning it was a fellow wolf. 

Sora, how have you not gotten yourself killed yet.

Texas reached for her swords, only to grasp at nothing.

I dropped them after I used my arts. My day just keeps getting better and better. 

“You!” The other wolf hissed out at her, clearly pissed off and trying to kill Texas with her glare. “You’re the one who used those swords arts. You slaughtered so many of my men! They had families! They had rights!  And you just killed them, and ran off with your tail between your legs! Like a coward! You think you can just escape the consequences of your actions by running away!?”

“What makes you think I did it?” Texas said back, trying to sound as confused as physically possible. 

Please think I didn’t do it and leave.

The other lupo growled. 

“You think I’m an idiot?” Yes. Her fingers tightened around her knife. “I paid attention to your little group fighting. I had assumed you would die relatively easily, despite your prowess, so I didn’t interfere and focused on Rhodes Island. But I saw the weapons your group had, and only one of you had swords that looked exactly like the ones that fell from the sky.”

The lupo took a step forward, forcing Sora to move up. 

“Rhodes Island does not have anyone with arts like that. Reunion would have found out by now. Not to mention how stunned they were when half of my forces suddenly died, meaning it was an outside force. Your attack caused us to retreat. To lose when we could have won.” 

Texas didn’t know what she was supposed to say in response to this. 

Do I apologize? I’m sorry for murdering most of your soldiers and making you lose?

Texas didn’t have to reply as the lupo spoke once more. 

“Let me ask you this again.” She said with a rage filled voice. “Do you think you can just run from the consequences of your actions?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve done it.” Texas replied, slowly reaching for the silver knife she had tucked on the outer edge on the inside of her apron. 

I always forget that I have this until the last moment. Good thing it didn’t drop out during all the fights I’ve been in.

The other wolf laughed. 

“You know, I was just planning on killing you to get revenge.” She spit out, moving her knife closer to Sora’s throat. “But I think I’ll make you watch your friends die before I kill you. So you know just how I feel.”

Thankfully Sora is a short person.

Texas wasn’t going to give the other lupo the chance, quickly pulling out her knife and whipping it at her. It flew over Sora’s head in less than one second, and was on course to impact the lupo’s head. Right before the knife buried itself into her enemy, Texas blinked-

-and opened her eyes to find the other lupo missing, and Sora falling forwards. A red line decorated Sora’s throat, Sora fell to her knees, and her hands had quickly risen to press against it as blood began to pour out the cut. 

“Sora!” Texas dashed towards Sora, already pulling the bandages back out to wrap around Sora’s neck. Texas stopped in front of Sora and pushed her hands away from her neck, and quickly began wrapping Sora’s neck with the bandages.

“Tex-” -Sora coughed as Texas worked, and a bit of blood came from her mouth. 

“Don’t try talking right now Sora.” Texas told her as she finished, eyes now dashing around to find her enemy. “Keep your hands on the bandages and keep it compressed. I’m going to deal with this lupo.” Sora opened her mouth to say something else, but a red liquid dropped onto her head from above. Texas and Sora both looked upwards.

Their enemy was crouched on the railing of a fire escape above them. Texas’s knife was embedded in their shoulder and blood was slowly dripping out from under the knife. The lupo looked down at them with disdain. 

“You… you’re fast. Possibly as fast as me.” She pulled the knife out of her shoulder, not even flinching as a squirt of blood followed it out. “If you were even a second slower than me, your friend would be dead on the ground, and that knife wouldn’t have hit me when I dodged to the side..” The lupo rose to her full height, staying perfectly balanced on the railing above. 

“Let's make a deal. I can tell that going for an attack on your friends will result in my death or a serious injury, and you can tell the only way you can kill me right now would cost at least one of their lives.” She flicked her wrist, and Texas’s knife embedded itself into the ground at Texas’s feet. 

Did you just give me my weapon back? People get dumber every day it seems. 

“Come up here and fight me, so that I can kill you, and avenge my fallen friends.” The Lupo jumped upwards and onto the building opposite of the fire escape, and beckoned Texas up before disappearing from view.

What did I do to deserve this?

Texas looked over towards Croissant and Exusiai, who were both passed out now. She turned back to face Sora, who was pressing bloodied hands against the bandages around her throat, and whispered something out that Texas didn’t hear. Texas leaned forward.

“Say that again Sora?”

“You’re not really going to go fight her are you? We can just go to PL where it’s safe.” Sora whispered out. 

Texas sighed once more. 

“I have to Sora. If I don’t go up there and fight, she’ll follow us to PL and kill us when we’re not looking.” Texas reached down and snatched her knife out of the ground. She would have prefered to have her swords when fighting someone in her current state, but she doubted that she had the time nor the energy to go retrieve them. 

“But Texas, you can’t! Your whole body is shaking! You look like you’ll collapse at any moment!”Sora cried, raising her voice and ignoring the bit of blood that came through her bandages. 

“Sora!” Texas hissed, grabbing Sora’s hands and pushing them more firmly against her neck. “I said to keep your hands there! I think we’d both prefer that you don’t die from a slit throat! And I know my whole body is shaking! It’s been like that ever since we got caught up in that battle! Every muscle and bone in my body is screaming at me right now! Telling me to stand down and take a break!” Texas let go of Sora’s hands and backed away from her.

“If I give up now, we’re screwed. You can’t heal anyone with your throat cut like that. You can barely speak at a normal volume without bleeding. Croissant and your angel friend are knocked out cold, and we’ve got a vengeful Reunion member who is actually competent- well, semi competent, trying to kill us.” 

Texas bent her legs, and grabbed onto the fire escape, ignoring her screaming body, and pulled herself up onto the same rail the other lupo had been on. She looked down at Sora, who was red faced, had tear trails carved into her cheeks, and puffy eyes. Sora looked scared, and sad, and a whole multitude of emotes Texas would look into later.

“I’m sorry, Sora. Just try to drag Croissant and Exusiai into the tunnel.” Texas said softly. Sora didn’t get a chance to try and talk again as Texas copied her enemy's move from earlier and jumped from the railing to the other building, latching onto a window, pulling herself up, jumping up again, latching onto the edge of the building, and disappeared from Sora’s view. 

“Took you long enough. I thought you ran away for a second.” The lupo said, idly tracing the curve of her blade as Texas pulled herself up onto the building. “I’m glad I don’t have to go through the trouble of chasing you down. Now prepare yourself, as I, Crownslayer, proud lieutenant of Reunion, the fastest thing alive-

Really lowering my opinion of you.

“-The Hellhound of Reunion, The- 

Crownslayer continued on like this for a while. Listing off names that she was supposedly called, which Texas had multiple doubts about, and monologuing on, and on, and on about Reunion’s ideals. It was like listening to a college lecture about the different kinds of mushrooms that exist in the world. Meaning it was borning, and Texas was getting more pissed by the minute.

This is not how I want to die. 

“-avenge my fallen comrades who you struck down-

Whatever god is out there, please either make me deaf or make her mute.

“-kill you so that my friends can rest in peace-

Oh fuck this.

“-Shut the hell up.” Texas cut in. “I don’t have time to mess around.” 

The only good thing about that speech was that it gave me time to get some of my energy back.

Crownslayer glared at Texas.

“You think I’m messing around? You think this is a game? You killed my men! My friends! People who I could call family! And you have the nerve to-”

-Texas cut her off again.

“Listen, I have been fighting for the entire day. I am physically and mentally exhausted. My friends are down there bleeding to death. I did not wish to fight you, or your friends. I did not plan on fighting anyone until they attacked my friends and some innocent people. All I wanted to do was stay at my store, go over my terrible life choices, and sell flowers. You assholes broke into my shop, damaged my 500 lung bell which my insurance won’t cover! And tried to kill a child. If your friends had wanted to keep their lives, they wouldn’t have been dumbasses.” 

Texas took her knife out and beckoned at Crownslayer with her free hand.

“So stop your monologue, shut the hell up, and come get me.”

I’m cutting out your fucking tongue if you start monolguing again. 

Crownslayer was visibly seething. 

“Fine. No more words. We’ll let our blades do the talking now.”

Finally.

Crownslayer lunged at Texas, form blurring, and Texas forced herself to meet Crownslayer halfway, exhaustion left in the dust.

They clashed in the middle of the roof, knives viciously screeching against each other when they met, and sparks flying from their blades when they disengaged. Texas swiped her knife low, attempting to cut her opponent’s ankle. Crownslayer dodged back and thrusted her weapon at Texas’s knife arm and barely glanced it as Texas quickly drew her arm back and advanced forward.

They continued their deadly dance for some time. Rapidly dashing, twisting, and slashing at each other in the hopes they would score a lethal hit. Blades screaming as they moved through the air and met. Texas began to accumulate small scratches all over her body. Not lethal in any way but still a reminder of who was winning their race towards death. Her body was simply too tired to move like it did hours before. 

Crownslayer was faring much better. The earlier shoulder wound seemed to barely affect her as she kept slashing her blade at Texas. Texas could tell she was grinning underneath that mask of hers. 

I’ve got to wound her. Kill her. Slow her down somehow. Do something.

Crownslayer slashed forward once more, blade coming from the left as Texas moved forward directly into the path of the blade- 

-Wait what?

The blade went into Texas’s left side and the lupo let out a hiss of pain, before grabbing onto the hand Crownslayer had gripped around the blade currently buried into her left. Crownslayer tried to pull away immediately, but Texas’s grip was firm. Crownslayer was trapped.

Texas worked fast and thrust her knife towards Crownslayer’s left eye. If she was fast enough she could easily get through the eye and straight to the brain, ending this battle. Crownslayer’s eyes opened wide with realization and she brought her unoccupied hand  up to grab onto Texas’s knife arm before it was too late.

She wasn’t quite fast enough.

The knife went into Crownslayer’s eye smoothly, and Crownslayer let out a scream so loud that Texas wanted to instinctively cover her ears. Texas tried to push her knife further in, but Crownslayer’s grip on her hand was strong. 

Crownslayer kicked Texas away with newfound strength, pulling out the blade in Texas’s side and making her cry out in pain. Texas rolled on the ground, quickly rising back to her feet despite the hole in her side and raised her knife to charge while her opponent was still occupied with her now blind eye, only to find herself in a familiar situation.

Her knife wasn’t with her. It was still in Crownslayer’s eye. 

Fuck. 

Crownslayer brought up the hand that had previously stopped Texas from sinking her knife any deeper into her eye, grasped the handle of it, and quickly pulled it out with a squelch and a whimper.  She looked up at Texas with an indescribable amount of rage, turned, and threw Texas’s knife off the roof with a wordless scream.

Double fuck.

Crownslayer’s hood covered her injured eye, but Texas could still see blood dripping down from under the left side of her hood. 

“I’m going to kill you.” Crownslayer hissed out at her, looking up at Texas with her left eye closed, and blood easing it’s way past the closed eyelid. 

Texas barely had a second to prepare herself as Crownslayer lunged at her with renewed vigor. Her blade already raised and ready to get payback. Texas made to dodge to the right, which was Crownslayer’s now left blind-side, and held in a scream as a sudden pain on her left side made itself known. 

Why the hell did I think getting stabbed in the side would be a good idea? Texas wondered as she forced herself to just barely dodge Crownslayer’s bull charge. Crownslayer quickly slowed down and turned around so that Texas was in sight again. 

The two lupos started at each other for a few seconds, both panting, injured, and covered in blood and sweat. Both thinking of how to end the other. 

I need to kill her or at least incapacitate her before I bleed out. Texas thought, eyeing the roof for anything that could be of use to her. Best case scenario is that I manage to do that before I lose too much blood and wrap myself up to hopefully survive. Worst case scenario is that I die and Crownslayer lives to kill my friends. What do I do next?

Apparently, Texas didn’t need to make her next decision, because Crownslayer had come up with a plan before her in those few precious seconds of respite. 

Crownslayer’s blade flew through the air, spinning with such intensity that it could have been mistaken for a helicopter’s blades. Texas’s eyes widened in surprise and she quickly ducked the blade, missing a free haircut by mere centimetres. The blade passed over Texas harmlessly, and Texas turned to watch it go over the roof and fall towards the ground, where after a few seconds a clatter was heard.  

Texas sighed in relief. 

What kind of idiot willingly gives up their weapon with a throw like that?

She turned back around to face Crownslayer, a mocking comment on her lips, only to find Crownslayer directly in her face.

“You should never turn your back on an opponent.” She bit out at Texas, fist making contact with Texas’s face. 

Thought you were too stupid to make a play like this. Texas thought to herself, reeling back from the punch and launching her own fist to counterattack Crownslayer’s left side. Crownslayer still saw it coming, ducking under and nailing Texas in the stomach, leaving Texas to gasp as the air was forced out of her lungs.

This isn’t good.

Crownslayer pushed Texas back instead of punching her again. Texas stumbled back, barely catching her footing as her feet hit the back of something. She quickly looked over her shoulder to find the offending object, only to find there was no object. She was at the edge of the building. 

And I might have fallen to my death if there wasn’t that little bit of ledging there.

Texas realized what Crownslayer’s goal was too late and tried to move forward and away from the dangerous ledge, only to have her hands caught by Crownslayer’s, and forced to have her back face the edge.

 Oh shit.

Crownslayer began pushing forward, pushing Texas towards the edge of the roof. Texas began pushing back, forcing her already abused and probably dying muscles to work with her one last time and keep the little bit of ground she had recovered.

It wasn’t enough.

“You’re going to fall.” Crownslayer hissed at her, slowly winning against Texas in their contest of force as she continued to push Texas closer and closer back to the edge of the roof. Texas continued struggling, pushing her muscles to keep working and to push back against Crownslayer. Texas’s shoes scraped across the roof’s cement, trying and failing to keep her in one place. 

Crownslayer’s grip tightened more around Texas’s hands and she looked at Texas with triumphant in her single visible eye. 

“Once I kill you, I’m going to go back down there and kill your friends. Maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll land close enough and survive to watch me do it.” 

They should be long gone. Texas thought. But you could just track them down and kill them.

The back of Texas’s shoes hit the small, raised, edge of the roof. 

“I think I’ll start with shortstack. It’s never good to leave something unfinished after all.

Texas started to tip over the edge, Crownslayer was letting go of her hands and turning towards the side of the roof they came up, and time slowed to a crawl. Her thoughts were going a mile a minute, thinking of possible escape plans. Texas looked below her. There was a ledge below where someone would probably plant flowers. Crownslayer had no clue that it was there. Texas could land on that and slowly make her way down to ground level. Crownslayer would assume she would have fallen to her death and left her alone. Tired, battered, bleeding to death, but still alive and with a chance of survival.

But to do that, would lead to the deaths of two people Texas has bonded with over this terrible day, and someone who said two people know. If Texas chose to live and save her own life, Crownslayer would go back down to that alley and kill 3 people, while Texas would be unable to do anything to stop her. 

Texas had two choices in this situation. Now she just had to choose one. 

“I think I’ll draw out their deaths. Really make them scream.” 

Texas made up her mind. 

Time resumed to its normal pace. 

And Texas had grabbed back onto Crownslayer’s hands, drawing a surprised gasp from her enemy. Texas grinned up at her.

“You should know that it’s never a good idea to turn your back on an opponent.” She echoed.

Texas pulled with the rest of her remaining might.

She and Crownslayer went over the edge, sailing down towards the ground as gravity did its work, and the wind screamed in their ears. Crownslayer was screaming at her, glaring at her with so much hate, surprise, anger, every possible emotion and Texas could feel them, but she didn’t care. 

Texas unclenched her hands and kicked her screaming companion away from her. She had better things to focus on with her last precious seconds of life than some idiot like Crownslayer.

Like think about all of her regrets. 

How she would never get to apologize to Sora for breaking her heart. 

How she would never fix up her shop and restore her precious bell to its glory.

How she would never get to properly meet the elusive angel Sora and Croissant had filled her ears with on their way to PL. 

How she would never get to use those dumb jetpacks Croissant had wanted to try.

How she wouldn’t get to see Lappland again.

Lappland...

Never kiss her again.

Never hug her again. 

Never patch her up after a rough ambush.

I’m sorry.

Never hear that laugh that always sounded like the best music money could never even get close to buying.

Never see that smile that always puts her so at ease. 

Never apologize for running away when she needed Texas the most.

I have so many regrets. 

The ground was almost in her face now.

I’m sorry.

Texas’s instinct screamed at her, and her arms came up unbidden in a last ditch effort to protect her face from a blow impossible to dodge.

I’m so sorry.

Texas hit the ground.