Where our demons hide

Chapter 35- New beginnings

Trigger warnings- Major character death, swearing and a fight. 

Several of the dictator's guards ran over to the dictator.

Raven and the other Champions ran over to Kaiden, who was standing in shock staring at the limp body beside him. Raven untied him while Finley kneeled on the ground.

"Cadence," he muttered, "Cade, stay with us."

He took her hand. Raven joined him in kneeling on the ground.

Raven pulled her onto his lap and took her other hand.

"Why did you do that?!" Kaiden asked, angrily.

"You deserve to live," Cadence managed to choke out. "I don't."

"Cade, don't be silly," Adrielle replied, "you deserve to live too."

"No. I don't." Cadence said. She paused for a second. "D-do you know the o-only reason I joined you guys in the f-first place?"

They all shook their heads, except Reina.

"I wanted to be a hero," Cadence explained. "I only j-joined you so I could b-become famous. T-that's wrong isn't it?"

"No," Raven replied, "it's not wrong. You are a hero, Cadence. We all are. You might have only joined us because you wanted to become famous, but you became more than that."

"You became family," Adrielle muttered.

Everyone except Finley nodded, though Kaiden hesitated slightly.

There was a long silence.

"Cade, you didn't have to do this," Kaiden said. He seemed to have calmed down. "You and Fin lost so much, he can't lose you too."

"He c-couldn't bear losing you. I-I know he couldn't."

"Cadence, I'm sorry that you never got the chance to be with me," Raven apologised.

"I-I saved your brother for you. It doesn't matter now Raven. You b-being happy is all t-that matters t-to me."

"I'm sorry I didn't do more for you," Finley said.

"You were the b-best brother I c-could've asked for. Just, make our d-dad proud."

"I will, I promise."

"Can I g-get one more thing?"

"Anything," Kaiden replied.

"Raven....," Cadence trailed off, but seemed to snap back to reality. "Kiss me."

Raven looked at the others. All of them except Finley nodded, but he was already crying into Kaiden's arm.

Raven leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips.

Cadence smiled. "I can d-die happy now. I wanted to g-go like this. My family around me. S-sorry for d-doing this t-to you."

"I'll never be able to repay you, Cadence," Kaiden said. "Thank you, for everything."

"Y-you don't h-have to repay me Lynch. Just m-make Fin happy, that's all I ask."

"I will do everything I can to do that. I promise."

Cadence groaned slightly. "Remember g-guys, you might not be t-to anyone else, b-but you're all my heroes."

Cadence's eyes fell shut and her chest slowed to a stop.

Raven placed her gently on the floor and got up.

Finley was crying hysterically. Kaiden picked him up and held him as he cried into his shoulder.