Interlude [h.s]

ninety-seven

"Ah, now you're getting it." His eyes narrow. "Did your friends like the present we left upstairs? We have plenty more," a dark, twisted smile, "all over this building."

Elijah's eyes widen.

"So, what now?"

Elijah takes a deep breath and closes his eyes.

And shoots.

The man falls back into the couch without a sound. Elijah runs out in the corridor. It's even fuller than before—familiar faces mix with unfamiliar ones.

"Jesse, where are you?!" he hisses into his watch, but gets no reply. Their line has been silent for far too long—he can only hope his watch is broken and nothing more serious has happened. "Al?!" Again, no reply. He mutters a curse under his breath and shoots a man coming at him. He jolts in the moment he does, but he's lucky. He opens the magazine of his gun and lets the last rounds fall to the ground not to risk shooting again.

A man grabs him, and Elijah punches him on the face and kicks him back. He falls back, taking a couple people down with him. Elijah sees a familiar face and runs into the crowd, striking a couple more people that try to stop him.

"Owl!"

The man turns around. "You're here. Where's everyone else?" There's crusted blood on his left brow and a bruise forming on his cheekbone, but he seems to be mostly alright.

Elijah shakes his head, his hands tighten around Owl's shoulders. "This place is riddled with explosives!"

Owl blanches. "What?"

"Explosives! Fucking explosives, my—"

He shoves Owl to the side as a blade pierces the air where he was standing until a moment ago. His hand closes around the man's wrists and he twists his arm until he's forced to let go of the knife. Owl picks it up, and Elijah shoves their attacker into the crowd.

"Tell everyone!"

Elijah runs off. He has to find Al, and everyone else, and the leader of the Shade. The Revolution is counting on them to uphold their part of the plan. The plan has long since derailed, but he can't let it all go to waste. He's one of the best fighters in the Revolution for a reason—he has to show them his worth, prove this is where he belongs. He can't let them all down. He can't fail.

"Eli, wait," Owl says, coming after him. "We shouldn't get separated—"

Elijah turns back. "You need to warn everyone else! I'll search for Al and the leader." He waves him off and dashes down the corridor, quick enough to avoid the blows the Shade sends his way. Now he knows why hardly anyone was shooting. Explosives, everywhere. This place could go up at any second. He needs to get Al to safety.

A sudden shout splits the air.

"Lark!"

Elijah's hard drops. He whirls around. Al?

A hand closes around his wrist. Owl has followed him, he's holding him back. "I said we need to—"

Elijah shoves him off.

"Elijah!"

He ignores Owl calling for him and runs off towards the source of the sound. His heart's hammering so violently he feels it in his throat. "Al!" He can't let anything happen to her. If it's her, if it's her—

Nausea comes over him. The shout came from the nearing corridor, where he was until a few minutes ago. He can't let anything happen to her. He won't allow it.

He turns into the corridor. The fight has moved elsewhere, but the signs of it are all over it. He slips on a puddle and falls, but pulls himself up and keeps running. "Alouette!"