Sunshine

Chapter 11: Ashes to Ashes

"Stop?" Jaune asked with a furious tone, "You didn't stop trying to kill us! You didn't stop pulling that trigger!" Jaune cried as he slammed his fist down in the Gangbangers face.

'KEEPING GOING! DON'T STOP! KILL HIM! DON'T LET HIM GO!'

Tears began to stream down the gangbanger's face, "Please... I have a family," he sobbed out, "my... my f-father is sick..."

But at the moment, Jaune didn't care, he felt no remorse at that moment, he felt nothing for him, and he continued pounding the young man's face until he began hearing cracks.

Back inside the house, Vernal, with the help of Oscar, managed to stop Melissa's bleeding with some bandages and they set her on her bed, after they set her on the bed, Melissa was still a little conscious but looked pale and weak, and seeing his aunt in such a state was too much for the young farm boy, and he quickly backed away and ran away. Vernal wanted to call him back but Melissa weakly grabbed Vernal's and that stopped her from saying anything, and Vernal turned back to look at the older woman and kneeled next to her.

Melissa looked at her with half-open eyes, "Wh-Where's... Jaune?" she asked.

Vernal looked at her and stayed silent for a bit, knowing what Jaune was doing, and she grabbed Melissa's hand and then gave her a soft smile, "Just take it easy Melissa," She told him.

Melissa breathed heavily and looked at her and a sad expression befell the woman's face, "V-Vernal... I-I... won't make i-it through the night," she told the younger girl.

Vernal shook her head, "Don't say thing's like that," Vernal said with a stern voice.

"It's true," Melissa told her, taking ragged breaths, "I-I... I can feel myself slipping a-away... V-Vernal listen to me, I need y-you to promise me... th-that you'll keep him safe, y-you'll protect him,"

Vernal shook her head as a sad expression began to form on her face, "Stop talking like that, you're gonna make it through this! Oscar needs you!" Vernal told her.

"I'm not gonna make it Vernal, y-you need to-" Melissa didn't finish as she coughed up blood and Vernal quickly grabbed a rag and wiped her mouth.

Vernal set the rag to the side and looked back at Melissa. "Stop taking," Vernal told her, "You need to save your strength,"

Melissa looked at her, "Not until you promise me Vernal..." Melissa said sternly.

Vernal looked at the older woman and she saw the seriousness in her eyes, but also saw the fear in them, the fear she knew all too well, the fear of knowing that the end was near, she had seen it many times before, and she was sure to see it many times in the future. It pained her so much to see Melissa, someone who she had begun to see as another person she could trust, someone who she admired much differently than she did Raven.

"I... I promise," She told Melissa, "I'll make sure he's safe, Jaune will too, we'll both do our best to keep him safe," She finished sadly.

Melissa smiled weakly and gave Vernal a slow nod, "Thank... you," She said.

Vernal gave her a nod back, "I'm gonna go get Jaune... will you be ok?" She asked Melissa.

Melissa gave her another slow nod, and with that, Vernal left the room and walked down the stairs and saw the front door was still open, but before she went outside, she looked around in the living room for Oscar, but she didn't find him, which worried her a bit, but she was sure he was safe, and so she walked outside only to see Jaune sitting on the patio steps and in his now bloody gloves, he held a group of photos.

"Jaune?" She called to him

He didn't turn to look at her, he just stared at the photos.

She walked over to him and touched him on his shoulder, "Jaune?" She called out to him again.