𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐭: ᴢᴇʀᴏᴘᴏɪɴᴛ ² − b. allen ((editing))

∟ 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞.

          HR nodded, despite every fibre in his being, and he mumbled a quick yes; a quick lie. He swallowed hard as Shannon turned and began walking away, allowing his shoulders to relax. HR glanced over his shoulder at the empty corridor. He felt guilty for trapping Anna inside the elevator, but the girl deserved better than to be killed at twenty-five years old. She deserved more than to be murdered by someone who looked exactly like her; someone who took the face of a hero and turned it into something evil.

          As the group walked into a room, they all came to a stop at the sight of Savitar and Alacrity. In Savitar's hand was the Philosopher's Stone and in Alacrity's was a knife. With Savitar in his large, silver suit and Alacrity in her deep red one, they looked like a pair you shouldn't mess with.

          HR's heart began to beat quickly and his stomach twisted into knots, making him nauseous. This was it. This was the home stretch. He would soon prove himself useless; he would soon save a life.

          "About time you showed up, Anna," Alacrity called out as she twisted the tip of her knife against her gloved fingertip. She smiled and took a few steps forward, her eyes narrowing on HR. "Sorry, sweetheart, but you won't be walking out of here today."

          HR swallowed hard and blinked, trying to think of something Anna would snap back. His fingers tapped against his thigh, drumming against the blue suit. "I won't be the one not making it out of here," he finally said, smiling slightly to himself at how confident the response sounded. He stood with his shoulders squared and his chin raised slightly in a way he'd seen Anna do countless times during a fight. 

          "I wouldn't be so sure," Savitar said and aimed the stone at HR. HR, still trying to pass off as Anna, moved his feet as if he was about to run as a beam of light flew toward him. The beam connected with his chest and he flew back, slamming into a wall and sliding to the ground. 

          "Anna!" Shannon exclaimed and turned to run to HR, but was stopped when Alacrity appeared in front of her and pointed the knife at her chest. Shannon raised her gloved hands, ready to blast Alacrity. "Get the hell out of my way, bitch," she demanded and narrowed her eyes at the red-haired speedster. 

          HR groaned and pushed himself up to his knees, brushing Anna's hair away from his face and behind his ears. "That all you got?" He asked, trying to pull the speedster's attention away from Shannon. He slowly got to his feet despite the burning pain in his chest that felt like a fire had been lit inside his lungs and was burning his ribs. He leaned back against the wall, swallowing hard to keep himself from groaning in pain once again. "Surely you won't hide behind the stone forever, Savitar."

          Savitar fired another beam at HR from the stone, causing him to slam back against the wall. The beam kept coming, becoming more intense by the second. HR gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to scream out in pain. Savitar walked closer to him and the beam grew in size, almost covering the torso of the blue suit completely. Despite not having powers, HR felt as though his powers had been drained and he felt helpless. 

          When the beam of light finally gave way, HR dropped to his knees and placed his hands on the floor. Panting heavily, he closed his eyes and kept his tears to himself so that no one could see how badly injured he truly was. HR repeated over and over in his head that he was doing this for Anna; for the girl he comforted night and night when she woke up from nightmares when she fell asleep at the lab; for the girl who lit up the room with her smile; for the girl who deserved to have another shot at life.