Clipped Wings

The Rescue

We were both quiet for a moment before I ask, "your brother doesn't happen to go by the name of Char, does he?"

Jonah doesn't reply right away, he just brushes more of his brown hair out of his face. "Yeah, my brother's name is Char."

Again, silence. Then he speaks up again, "did my brother change you?"

"Yeah..."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know it wasn't you're fault. I told my friends to capture you because I thought you somehow did this to yourself, and I was mad that I wasn't special anymore. I-it wasn't my place." He unlocks the cage door, letting me out "I do hope you can forgive me and this awful misunderstanding. I'm going to have a talk with my older brother."

"He's in jail," I blurt out.

Jonah frowns, "oh." Suddenly he looks smaller and defeated, like he no longer has a purpose.

We both jump as the door opens slowly. Our eyes dart to the intruders, but I feel myself relax as the two faces I most want to see right now appear. Jonah, however, remains stiff and unwelcoming to the faces that are unfamiliar to him. Tommy and Victoria.

"Adam!" the two blondes exclaim almost in unison. It wasn't quite in unison, so it sounded more like "A-Ad-dam-am." I give the two the largest smile I can muster before glancing at Jonah.

Char's brother's eyes are stuck in an untrusting gaze directed at Victoria's small, light-colored wings. "D-did Char change her too?" Jonah asks, his voice quiet.

I frown, "yeah, but just us two, no one else."

Jonah lets his eyes drop, braking off the staring contest his eyes were holding with the model's wings. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't know just how out of hand he had gotten. I should've know something was wrong when he used me as his first test subject." He shook his head, as if trying to shake the bad memory from every corner of his mind.

"It's okay, man," I rest a hand lightly on his shoulder, still not positive I can trust him, "Tommy and I are working on a way of ridding ourselves of these." I indicate to my wings, giving him a halfhearted smile.

"If you-" he clears his throat, "if you find a way to get rid of them, will you, um, try to contact me?" He sounds hesitant.

I furrow my eyebrows, "um, sure, I'll try."

Jonah's face lights up, "really? Oh, thank you!" His eyes crinkle into what looks like his first smile in months. "I've been cursed with these for like two years, and I want to be rid of them already. They're unnatural."

Tommy finally speaks up, "two years, huh? That would explain why they're so huge. Do they ever stop growing?"

Jonah nods, "yeah, after the seventh month, worry not."

I can't help as I let out a snort of amusement on his word choice, but that snort is cut short as a bang and an unearthly squeak fills the air. My head snaps in the direction of the doorway. Vanessa stands there, a gun in hand, and I follow her gaze to Victoria, now crumpled on the floor. I start to head towards her, but Vanessa cocks her gun again, this time pointing it at Tommy.

"Want me to kill this one too, boss?" she addresses Jonah.

Jonah looks shocked for a moment. "What!? No! Why'd you shoot her? What did she do to deserve that?"

I'm about to move towards Victoria, but Vanessa snarls out of the side of her mouth, "if you move, Adam, I'll shoot."

I'm left to gaze helplessly at Victoria as her blood begins to pool around her. I can't fully comprehend what is happening right now. Victoria is bleeding to death from a gunshot wound in her back. How did this even happen?

Vanessa starts to speak again, "they're intruders. I don't tolerate them, so I kill them. Want me to kill this one too?"

"No!" Jonah now has a look of rage behind his eyes. "I thought I was your boss. I'm in charge. I have never told you to kill someone. Never."

Vanessa frowns, "but am I not making you proud? I just want you to be proud."

The room is silent as she lowers her gun. Tommy and I rush towards Victoria, and Jonah rushes towards Vanessa, furious. The world is a blur as I lift Victoria up and rest her on my lap.

"Adam," she gasps, her eyes struggling to find mine.

I feel my eyes burn and fill up with tears, "hey, Vic. You okay?"

She nods, "yeah, I think so. It just hurts. I think I'm gonna go to sleep for a little bit." A shaky breath escapes her lips.

"No, just stay with us," Tommy's voice shakes.

"Tommy?" She shudders, "Adam? Did you know I kinda love you?"

I nod, biting my lip, "yeah, honey, I know. Don't go to sleep yet. Stay with me."

Victoria gives me a ghost of a smile, shaking again. "I'm tired, though. Goodnight, Adam, Tommy. Wake me up in the morning?"

I nod, letting tears fall, "yeah, I will." She doesn't reply, just continues to stare. I think she's staring at me, but I can't tell because I can't see clearly through my film of tears. "Victoria?" I shake her a little bit, but Tommy places a hand on my shoulder.

"Put her down, babyboy. She's gone."

"What." It wasn't even a question. I refuse to accept what he told me. Just a moment ago she was fine. Just a moment ago she arrived with Tommy to rescue me. Victoria is fine, just sleeping. She's fine. "Victoria, wake up," my voice cracks.

Tommy shakes his head, "Adam, let her go. She's dead."

"She is not dead!" But I realize now that she isn't staring at me. Or anything. Her eyes are empty. Her blood is pooled around on the ground, in my lap, on my hands and in her beautiful hair and gorgeous feathers. She's dead.

Victoria is dead.

**A/N: Super sad chapter but super long so that kinda makes up for it? I know you all probably hate me right now, but I don't blame you.
So, I've got some news, just one chapter left. I'm pretty excited, I really like how it ends.
Well, please vote, comment, etc. I'd really love to know what you think!**