"WINSTON!"
Axel ignores the thud of the collapsing figure in the other end of the corridor, as the small man in front of him stumbles at the impact of the bullet.
Almost like second instinct, the gun from his fingers slips- and his arms go around him to hold him up as Winston's knees give away.
There are light footsteps behind him and from the other end of the corridor, and as Axel turns around, ready to pick up his gun again- the familiar faces of the rest of his team make him pause.
Their wide eyes stare at him, and at the man in his arms- who let out a pained sound, as one of his hands graze his wound.
"You stupid, stupid boy," Axel mutters frustratedly, supporting his weight as he tries to set him down against the wall as gently as he can, "Why would you jump in front of a bullet, like that?"
"Oh, dear stars," Stella mutters as she comes to kneel beside Axel, her hand going to the bullet wound right below Winston's chest, "What happened?"
"I- the person there," Axel turns his head to the other end of the corridor where the figure lay motionless, "took a shot, but Winston jumped in front of the bullet, the stupid boy-"
"I don't recognize him," Bea mutters, from where she was standing above the fallen figure of the supposed intruder, next to Gale who had leaned down to examine him, "He- the intruder- isn't from our unit, for sure."
Axel shakes his head with gritted teeth, turning back to Winston- only to find his big eyes full of tears, peering intently at him- his breath coming out as harsh pants.
"I'm sorry," he murmurs so softly that only Stella and Axel hear him, "I'm- I'm sorry I fa-failed you, sir-"
"Failed me by being a traitor?" Axel murmurs back sharply, although a weird sense of panic begins to claw up his throat at the sight of the blood that continues to unforgivably spill from the bullet wound.
"N-No," Winston coughs shaking his head, as his expression crumpled and a tear drips down his cheek, "I failed you bec-because I didn't earn your trust."
There's a sharp twinge that runs through his chest to see him in pain like this, and the growing ball of panic inside only increases tenfold. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Winston only smiles sadly, despite the tears streaking his cheeks.
"You're my hero, Mr. Falcon," he whispers, as another tear trickles down his cheek, "I would never betray you. I-I'm sorry, that I never earned your trust fully- because it made you believe that I could be a traitor."
There's a lump building up in Axel's throat, as he glances at Stella from the corner of his eyes, only to see a pained expression on her face.
"At least now," he says shakily, "I've done something worthy. I can l-leave peacefully n-"
"No, shhh, don't say that," Axel shakes his head, a frantic panic bubbling up his throat, "Stella- she can- she can save you, alright? You- You can save him, right?"
When he turns to her, however, the expression on her face only confirms the worst.
"I-I can't," she says softly, her eyes brimming with tears, "I can't save him-"
"What?" Axel's voice gets a tad bit higher, "What-What do you mean? You saved me, you can-"
"I can't," Stella repeats sadly, "I don't- I don't have all my powers, Axel- when I descend, I lose them-"
"There-There must be something," he mutters, turning back to Winston, pressing a hand over Stella's- right above his wound, "Please Stella, do something-"
Stella only reaches forward to place a hand above his heart.
"You have my blessing," she says softly, giving him a sad smile- tears still filling her eyes, "You'll find a life after this that is full of happiness and success, I promise."
He only smiles weakly at her.
"Thank you, Miss Stella," he breathes, before turning to Axel, "and th-thank you, for everything, Sir."
"No, don't- stop that," Axel frowns, lifting a hand up to support his head, "Don't- Don't say that-"
One of his hands go to Axel's, his fingers gently squeezing his hand- and for a brief moment, his eyes light up and a brief, bright smile flits across his features.
"You're my hero, sir," he whispers shakily once more, "I- I'm happy that I could d-do something, for your life. I-I hope-" he squeezes his hand once more, his smile faltering in the slightest,
"You'll remember me."
Then, he goes still.
The hand around Axel's, slips from his grasp, even as Axel tries to clutch on to in some desperate, frantic way- hoping it would spark life into them, but it doesn't.
Winston's brown eyes simply stare back into his- dull, and lifeless, the ghost of a smile still on his face.
"Hey," Axel moves forward to grip his shoulder, forcing the lump down his throat and refusing to acknowledge the stinging at the back of his eyes, "Hey Wi-Winston, c'mon man- don't-don't-"
His voice is drowned out by a familiar monotone announcement above, but Axel doesn't pay attention to it.
"Lockdown sequence, in continuation. Stage two."
"Winston," his voice is shaking now, and so are his hands- but he refuses to pull his gaze away from the man in front of him, "Winston, p-please-"
There's a hesitant hand placed on his shoulder, but Axel shrugs it off- lifting one of his cold hands in both of his- shaking it rapidly, "W-Winston-"
"Axe," a hand is placed on his shoulder, grip firmer than before, "Axe, c'mon-"
"I'm not-I'm not leaving him here," Axel hates the way his voice shakes when he says it, "Boss, I- we can't leave him here-"
"Axe," this time Bea grips his other shoulder, her voice soft and imploring, "If we don't get out of this corridor in time, we're going to be trapped in here with two... dead bodies-"
"I don't care!" he doesn't care that he's yelling, nor does he care that he's trembling more than before, but he doesn't struggle out of Corban's hold as he pulls him to his feet.
Winston.
Innocent Winston. The same person who'd treat his wounds, make his favorite food, the same person who'd try new recipes of food just for him-
The lump in his throat only gets bigger with each passing thought and memory.
He was vaguely aware of Corban guiding him through a smaller corridor, and into a bigger room, with Stella and Bea by his side, Gale behind them.
This was his fault.
How could he have let this happen?
The voices around him sound far away and muffled as if he were underwater. He can discern words, phrases- that travel through one ear, and leave through the other- without his brain bothering to decipher their meaning.
He only snaps into focus, the moment he hears something that instantly has his blood boiling.
"So," he can hear Gale awkwardly clear his throat, "the traitor's... dead, then? Good riddance, huh?"
"Shut the fuck up, Reynolds," Axel barely recognizes the pained fury in his voice as he looks up at Gale with a dark glare, "It wasn't him. If it was-"
His voice falters, as they all continue to stare at him, wide-eyed.
"-he wouldn't have taken the bullet, for me."
Stella bites her lip to hold back tears, and she can't help but think to herself-
This was her fault.
She came up with the theory. She was the one that blamed Winston and told the others about it. She had been completely wrong about it. They had suspected an innocent person who had nothing to do with the investigation when the traitor was still lurking around-
A hand on her shoulder interrupts her thoughts.
"I know what you're thinking," Corban murmurs- in a tone gentler than she's ever heard- when she looks up at him, eyes filled with tears, "It's not your fault."
Stella almost scoffs. "That is not-"
"Hear me out," he says gently, his grip on her shoulder tender but firm at the same time, "You gave us a theory. It was the only lead that looked promising in this case, so we clung to it. That isn't your fault."
"But I led you to suspect him," she says quietly, blinking back tears, "If it weren't for that, he'd never have gotten hurt."
"Look," Bea says softly, her eyes sad but her expression firm, "it's not your fault. You didn't... kill him. Even if we didn't bring him in for questioning, there would've been a Code Red- because of the intruder. Only," she glances at Axel, for a moment before looking down, "someone else might've gotten hurt."
It was obvious who she was referring to.
So, she stays quiet. A major part of her still disagreed with what they said. A major part of her was filled with gnawing, aching guilt, and she couldn't help it.
It only brought her slight solace that Winston had her blessing and promise- and that he'd thrive in a life of a different time.
But it only saddened her all over again, because he could've flourished in this life for longer- if it weren't for what happened.
If only, she had given it more thought.
If only, she had realized that the fear when he was being questioned was genuine.
If only.
"It might not be our fault," Axel murmurs, staring at the blood staining his palms, "but it doesn't make us feel any better about it, does it? He... He didn't deserve it, and we gave him shit for something he never did before he-"
His voice cracks, as he abruptly cuts himself off, staring at the ground, and shaking his head.
The sadness and the shocked disbelief were fading in his mind. Something angrier, more furious, and more dark was taking its place-making him see red as rage coursed through his veins like blood.
And with all the seething, came a painfully maddening realization:
The traitor definitely had something to do with this intruder.
"When we find the traitor," he promises darkly, his hands clenching into fists, "I'm going to be the one to put a bullet through their skull."
The room falls into silence at that admission.
Past the silence, the sound of distant thudding of metal doors echoes ominously.
But that isn't what makes everyone perk up in confusion.
It's the distinct sound of someone else's footsteps.
Huh? Stella's eyebrows furrow in confusion, as her gaze sweeps across the room.
Corban, Bea, Gale, Axel...they were all in the room- and the metal doors of this corridor had thudded shut moments ago. Everyone had been instructed to remain in position, then who was this then?
All their gazes flit to the door of the room they were now in, as the echoing footsteps get closer, and closer- shattering the pin-drop silence that had fallen across them.
When the footsteps are right in front of the door, they stop, making everyone in the room tense- as their hands go to their own weapons.
One second passes. Then another.
The door slams open.
And Stella's eyes widen in surprise and shock, not because of who is behind the door-
-but because she was staring into a pair of glowing red eyes.
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