Chapter 17: Picking up What is Left
OH MY GOD, I’M NOT DEAD!
Sorry for being gone for so long, things got a bit.....well, crazy over the last while for me. New job, therapy started, moved to a new house, and started training for a Pro Overwatch team. I’ve gotten dizzy trying to run around all of this, so Tumblr got put on the back burner. I might not be very active still, but my goal is to try and get these chapter updates at least semi regulated so I can finish and move onto my next project. Thanks to everyone who is still here, love you guys <3
@pkmtrainerbenny @chibiccino @sazuka57 @noblezen @vizivoir@hungrykuroneko @schwesterling @redmapleleaf
Silence. They were all waiting, but it wasn't the reason for the quiet. The air felt like a thousand knives hung around them, waiting for the slightest twitch of movement or sound to cut it short. No one could tell how long it had been like that, all they knew was the screaming had stopped some time ago. Blue had hunched over in the corner, not making a sound or movement even when Teal and Flare had finally arrived, dimming as the story was told to them of what had happened.
Grey was frozen, even his flames only seemed to move if you looked closely. He seemed to have taken it the hardest of the remaining group. The medical clinic they were sheltering in was small, but their numbers had been cut enough it wasn’t a problem. Quiet metal against metal was heard before a door opened, Grey the only one to jump up and look over.
Ashen gave a worn smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes, which looked tired as hollow. She moved cautiously and slowly into the room, holding her hands close to her before taking a slow breath, “Scar will be alright. We were able to patch up the wound, but the arm couldn’t be saved.” She looked down, unable to look them in the eyes after the news she had to deliver.
Blue finally moved by turning to look at her, “So he’ll live.” He sighed and snarled to himself, “Not like he has anything left now.”
Ashen flinched and curled into herself at the words, jumping when a hand gently took her shoulder from behind. She looked over and saw a firmly burning navy fire elemental, giving her a small smile to help calm her, “Don’t worry, you did what you needed.” He turned to the rest of the group stepping before Ashen, “Carmine and Violet are resting in the patient room, Scar will rest in the surgery room until he wakes.” Grey sighed and stood, “Thank you again Azure. If you and Ashen hadn’t let us in and helped, he might be dead now.”
Azure looked down with a frown, folding his arms, “Don’t thank me on that yet. He’s still not completely out of the woods, and I can’t speak for his mental health.” He looked back up at Grey with a head shake, “What have you gotten yourself into this time?”
Grey gave a weak smile and chuckle, “You’re the one that causes problems, remember. You always called me.”
Azure brightened fully with a smile, “Alright, you got me there, mate. So I do owe you a favor or two.”
Blue stood suddenly and glared at their gentle conversation, his words burning the lightness in the air, “This isn’t a friendly get together. People are dead, and we very well could be next.”
Grey dimmed again and nodded, tightening the grip on his cane to keep from shaking, “You’re right, but if they wanted us dead, we already would be. They won’t be on the attack until we make another move.”
Teal jumped up, voice crashing through making everyone notice even Blue had been quiet with his outburst, “Then we don’t. Enough people are dead already. We were following a killer remember.”
Grey stood tall against him, seeming more stable than even his normal, “He was a good person, and was trying to protect everyone. He warned us this could happen. This is war after all, people die, even those close to you.” His voice trailed off toward the end as he remembered the faces he saw. One of which he thought was nothing, but a memory.
Flare looked down in defeat, his brother quickly continuing with a step forward, his flames bright, “I can’t do this anymore, I didn’t agree to this level of senseless violence. I have a family. I’m not going to lose them like….” His voice and flames both suddenly died down, the room returning to the chilling silence from before.
Teal finally turned away and scowled, voice barely a whisper, “I’m out.” The room jumped at his words, shocked, but he looked back up and spoke louder, “I’m out. I can’t do this. If you want to, fine, but leave me and my family out of it.”
Azure looked ready to voice a slew of words at him, but Grey raised a hand and shook his head at his dark flamed friend. Grey looked over to Teal and nodded, “Go. I don’t want anyone innocent hurt from this point. We can fight this ourselves.”
Teal looked at a loss for words, but slowly shut his mouth and nodded. He looked to Flare who glanced up, pain in his eyes before standing and nodding to the others in respect. A cold sense of dread filled the air as they walked to the door and began to walk out. Flare seemed to pause for a moment as if wanting to speak, but quickly left instead. The door closing behind them felt like the harshest noise they had heard since arriving.
Azure looked over at Grey with a frown, but concern in his eyes, “Are you sure about that? You’re already badly out-numbered.”
Grey looked over with a seemingly confident smile, “I am. It would only put more lives in danger if one of our own was second guessing themselves anyway.” Azure nodded, not letting it be seen he noticed the pain and fear in Grey’s eyes and the tense way he held his cane.
Azure groaned and walked behind the counter, seemingly off in his own world for a minute. Ashen tried to give a bright smile to help lighten their spirits, “Well, I’m no fighter by any means, but I can do what I can to help you when things go wrong.”
Blue seemed to soften slightly toward her, maybe it was what she had been through, or how optimistic she was despite it, “You should keep away from us after this. It’ll only be more dangerous if you stay.”
She smiled more confidently, “If my brother trusted you, then so do I. And I get the feeling I’ll be safer staying close than at a distance.” She looked down at her hands, nervously rubbing them together now. Only at this point did Grey and Blue notice the pale blue dust lightly on her fingers.
Blue dimmed and nodded, not having it in him to continue speaking anymore. Grey pointed to her hands, “He is alright I thought?”
Ashen trembled slightly as she thought about it, putting a hand up before either of them could dismiss her from speaking, “It wasn’t a normal wound. As you know it was with that strange blade, so we couldn’t just wrap or heal it.” Grey nodded and Blue slumped a bit, trying not to let know he was listening closely. She took a slow breath, “We had to clean away the infected part of the wound, and…..” She dimmed down and closed her eyes, voice equally low, “We had to use water to burn away the outer part of the injury.”
Grey’s hand slowly dropped, Blue’s hands beginning to claw into his skin without him noticing. The thought of forcing Scar through that intense pain, knowing he might not even find something to live for anymore. Grey was somber. Blue was enraged.
Blue looked over at them, voice dark, “That bastard will pay. We are going to take him down.”
Ashen seemed concerned, but Grey looked up, a cool determination in his eyes, “Yes. And they will pay with interest.”
Ashen thought such words would make her scared, but something about seeing that life in Grey’s eyes made her smile. Her long time friend seemed to find a drive for something he hadn’t had in years.
Azure suddenly jumped over the count causing the others to jump. He shrugged as if to dismiss them and smirked. Grey seemed concerned about this and gave him a wary glance as he spoke, “I get the feeling you’ve done one of those stupid things you do.”
Azure waved a hand at him, “Come on, mate. I only ‘ave the best ideas. And I know you really needed this one.”
The three jumped again as a knock was heard on the door, Azure chuckling to himself as he called out into the silence, “Come on in.”
The door burst open, an energetic bright flame of golden yellows sparkling with energy, an electric elemental behind him, sighing as he looked at Azure.
The golden flame elemental jumped in, not quite cheering or singing as he spoke, yet both at once, “Doc! It’s been too long since you even talked to us. And now you have an adventure, what a surprise! And so many new friends too!”
Grey gave a weak smile while Blue seemed between floored and loathing. The electric elemental looked over them all and huffed, folding his arms closing his eyes with a frown.
Azure smiled at them, taking the flame’s hand and shaking, “Gold, ‘ey, good to see you too. Spark also seems as energetic as always.”
They shared a quick laugh over the words when Blue cleared his throat. He groaned and pointed at the two arrivals, “Explain.”
Azure smirked, “You need some new people, so I called in the reinforcements.”
Spark sighed and looked at him, “Idiot. I’m going to regret this aren’t I?”
Azure shrugged and waved for them to sit, “Let’s catch you up, then get started on this adventure, shall we.”
Gold brightened and mentally cheered, happy to be added to the adventure and story.