Shattered Relations | Aru Shah AU |

XXI

ARU
Mini's scream was ear-shattering, and bounced her back to a terrifying reality, where a body lay at her feet.

Nate staggered up, his eyes bloodshot, his hands slick with... his sister's blood. Aru felt sick to the stomach.

"Y‐you— you killed—" he was unable to form a coherent sentence, his words choked with grief and shock, as he took an unsteady step forward.

"I wouldn't do that," said Lenguine, calmly. His eyes glittered darkly, but without remorse. Like he hadn't just killed a girl.

Mini's eyes were glazed over, glassy. A bead of sweat trickled down her neck, as one thought knocked around her brain: We're next. 

A voice crackled out of the walkie-talkie strapped to Lenguine's waist. A panicky voice said, with static, "What was that? Who was shot?" 

The voice sounded familiar, but all voice's sounded tinny and weird in Aru's head. It was like she was back in the biochemistry lab, with Shakhuni's body in front of her. And, just like then, she felt like her head had been submerged underwater, and she could barely hear what the people surrounding her were saying.

I'm going to die.

She was sure of it, so sure that she could practically hear the gunshot that would kill her.

She squeezed her eyes shut, but another voice crackled from the walkie-talkie, sounding shocked.

"Lenguine... somebody's at the front gate."

Lenguine snapped to the person, "Take care of them. Now."

"It's Sunny." The words were sharp, and seemed to throw him off-guard.

Aru felt some relief. Anything that delayed their deaths was welcomed.

She turned her head towards Mini, who was deathly pale, and her eyes were squeezed shut too, as she muttered something under her breath. Either a prayer or some particularly inspired words about Lenguine.

Lenguine himself looked torn between talking to Sunny—whoever they were, and keeping them hostage.

He scowled, and dragged Nate up by the collar. Aru's stomach squished uncomfortably, when she saw that his shirt was soaked in blood, and that he was semi-conscious.

"Keep them here," he said gruffly. Nate slumped against a wall, his gun hanging limply from his hand. His eyes were fixed on his sister.

"Listen, we can make this right," Aru began.

Mini didn't speak, so Aru continued. "If you want vengeance for your sister, we'll help, but you'll need to knock out Lenguine for that."

"No..." Nate looked up at her with bloodshot eyes. "They're too strong."

His voice was flat, emotionless, a dead look entering his eyes as he stared at his sister once more. "They've won."

Aru glanced at Mini. "Any wondrous plan to get us out of here?" Her own voice was carefully neutral.

Mini hung her head, her eyes still wide and terrified. "No."

Distant footsteps. She heard two people talking quietly, possibly Lenguine and Sunny.

Aru felt her heart crawl into her throat. But she steeled her resolve, and clenched her jaw.

Looking up, she saw the last person she'd expected to see.

Shock seemed to have temporarily arrested her ability to speak.

Her eyes met a pair of equally shocked golden ones, as she whispered, horrified, "Kara?"

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