A/N: Fun chapter up ahead. Hehehe. No deaths at all.
Blake helps me up and lets me put some of my weight on him while we try getting out of there. The sound of gunshots make my ears ring and the explosions don't help with the problem.
I don't feel the pain of a bullet in my stomach, but I can feel it's there. I move slowly and limited due to fear of letting the bullet sink further into me and maybe puncturing a vital organ. I'm hoping it hasn't already punctured something I sort of need to live. I'm okay with saying goodbye to one of my kidneys. My lungs and heart? Not so much.
"I can't get you out of here. I'll have to get you somewhere safe," Blake says while gritting his teeth under my weight. I'm not the heaviest guy on the planet, but Blake is strained by everything that's already happened.
"I'm sorry I betrayed you," is all I say.
If I must die today, I will feel a lot better knowing I earned Blake's forgiveness. It really did eat at me knowing I was betraying him while he confided in me or took the gang out for a good time.
But I knew I had to do what I had to do. Xavier is my true leader and Xavier took me in after my dark history.
I had a well-off family. I was in a good school and I was a promising student. I was the perfect son for my parents, but I couldn't take that anymore. I wasn't a computer. So I faked my death. I was done with that life. Till this day, everyone thinks I was abandoned. Meanwhile I'm the person that abandoned my old life. I'm sorry for leaving my little brother though. It's the only regret I have.
But I was going to kill myself for real if I didn't leave.
And even if this life of death and destruction seems horrible to others, I thrive in it. I love how the chaos makes me feel stable.
"Shit, get down!" Blake yells and pulls me down to the ground with him. We fall to the floor and I hiss at the uncomfortable feeling in my stomach where that bullet starts shifting.
I look up through the dust and Southerners come running in and shooting. I think for a second they'll see us and kill us, but then something flies towards them and they explode. Blood and fire rains down everywhere and I nearly throw up at the sight of their internal organs. I look over my shoulder and Paul comes running in with his battle face and bazooka. He looks ecstatic. This is his zone.
I watch my giant silent friend fire his bazooka at anyone that comes near him and pure joy shines in his face at all the pretty explosions. I'm not dying until I hear that guy say something. I refuse to.
"Okay, let's go," Blake instructs and helps me up so we can cross the road and head to the more covered area. We try our best to avoid the grey-clothes Southerners and their downward arrows. I think Blake's own grey jacket and determined look makes them ignore us. At one point one of the men even nod to Blake out of respect before giving him a smile and running along.
I feel nauseous with all the running we're doing through the blood and bullets and explosions. I don't know how much further my legs can take me. I feel so weak and whenever I look down to my hand that's clutching my stomach, I panic at all the blood.
"Hide," Blake commands and pushes me to the side. I fall down next to a truck and watch in horror as two Southerners approach Blake.
"Why are you here?" One of them ask.
"I was instructed to clear this area," Blake says - his grey Southern jacket is what's saving him right now.
"What? By who? Was it that damn Jason that gave you orders," the second guy growls.
"Uh, yes," Blake says.
"Don't worry. We don't support him. He might be the one with the original blood, but he's not a true leader. All the men agree his decisions are sloppy," the shorter one replies.
"He's... He's definitely not thinking straight," Blake improvises.
"Agreed," The second guy says before adding, "Hopefully he dies during this fight so we can get moving with the real plans. I'm tired of being limited to this town."
"What are the new plans?" Blake asks and fucks everything up.
It's definitely the wrong question, because the two men look at him differently and then realization and shock hits them as they raise their guns towards Blake.
I try getting up to save Blake, bit I'm too late and two shots ring through my ears.
What gets me to start breathing again is when I see it's the two Southerners drop and Xavier comes jumping in from one of the bonnets of the trucks. "Dammit," Xavier says as he chucks his empty guns to the floor and looks up.
Blake doesn't know if he wants to be grateful or shocked, but he looks at Xavier with wide eyes. "You saved me," he says.
"Yes," Xavier answers and grabs the Southerners' guns - too distracted too care about Blake's relief of not dying.
"Why are all my enemies saving me today?" Blake asks himself.
"Maybe you need to rethink who's the real enemy," Xavier shrugs just as half a dozen Southerners come running in. Xavier chucks one of the Southern guns to Blake and they duck behind a wrecked and smoking car before firing at the South. The South shoots back but three of them go down while the other three run out of bullets just as Xavier and Blake runs out of amo as well.
I watch in horror - hating how useless I am, as Xavier jumps over the bonnet of the car and runs to tackle one of the Southerners. Blake jumps over as well and the Southerner only has a moment to look at Blake in shock and surprise before his face gets smashed by Blake's fist.
Xavier gets back up and kicks the guy he tackled. The third Southerner grabs Xavier from behind in a choke-hold, but Xavier lets his hands hold on the the arm around his next before going down - flipping the Southerner over him. Just when Xavier is free, the Southerner that was on the ground is up and tries sneaking in a punch into Xavier's side, but my leader is too kick and dodges it easily before sending a left, right and upper cut that makes the attacker stumble back.
The guy Blake is fighting does a back flip to get back up on his feet and then throws a high kick that Blake manages to dodge just in time. The next kick the guy sends, Blake block with his arm (even I wince at that) before Blake uses the opportunity to kick at the guy's other leg and make him stumble. Blake takes the chance to get a few good punches in, but it only fuels the attacker more as he comes back kicking and swinging with a vengeance. The Southerner ducks in time for one of Blake's punches and hits him in the guts. Blake folds over and the guy brings a powerful kick down onto Blake's neck - making my friend crumble to the floor.
Before the Southern attacker can give any fatal blows, Xavier comes in with a power kick that literally sends the guy flying over to the bonnet of a car a few meters away. The attacker hits his spine on the hard metal and falls to the floor without getting back up.
Xavier extends his hand for Blake, but Blake doesn't take it and instead helps himself up before saying, "Jack is wounded. We need to get him somewhere safe."
Xavier looks up and we make eye contact. I send him a short wave and Xavier frowns in concern. "What happened?" My leader asks.
"Jack took a bullet for me," Blake says conflicted. They walk over to me and both start to carry me away with violence still all around us.
Xavier and Blake avoid as many bullets as they can while carrying me over to where there's less going on. We spot an open van and head towards it. Xavier holds me up while Blake opens the door and helps me get in.
"Stay here and don't make a sound," Blake instructs.
"Blake... Blake please forgive me," I whisper. I need to hear it. Even my leader sees the desperation and takes a step back.
"Hold on Frosty. Just hold on until the fight is over and we'll get you help. You're not dying today," Xavier says before handing me a small smile and running off to take care of Southerners coming this way.
I look back at Blake - my desperation only getting worse when I feel myself grow weaker and weaker. "Please... Please forgive me," I beg.
"No," Blake says simply.
My heart breaks at the word. Knowing I'll die without being forgiven kills me. And in this moment, I wish I could hack into people. I wish I could hack into Blake and make him understand that most of my pain comes from betraying him and not even the stupid bullet wound.
I need this. I need to hear it. Not only from Blake, but from my brother that I left behind with my awful parents as well. Hearing Blake say it, might make up for both brothers that I disappointing.
"Please," I beg again.
Blake's hard expression doesn't soften and I feel more sorry for myself than I've ever felt. People can be so cruel. That's why I've always preferred computers. Computers can't make you feel like you maybe should die. Computers don't break your heart. Computers don't expect you to be perfect.
Maybe I should just let go. It'll be so easy.
I can't even find myself holding back tears. I don't want to die. There's so much I still have to do. I still have to redeem myself. I still have to see my brother again after all these years. This can't end like this. It just can't.
Just when I'm sure Blake actually wants to see me die, he speaks up. "I'm not forgiving you unless you live through this battle, Jack. There's your motivation," Blake says before an explosion goes off not to far away and more Southerners come running.
He looks over his shoulder in panic before looking back at me one last time. "If you live through this, Jack. I will forgive you. If you get to see tomorrow, you'll even be my friend again," Blake says. There's something more in his silver eyes and I feel unbelievably grateful.
Before I can even thank Blake for the second chance he's giving me, he closes the van's door and is off to join the fight. With renewed strength, I feel like getting up and following him into battle.
But I have to live. I have to live, because I'll be damned to hell if Blake doesn't forgive me. So I stay in the van.
Determined, I look around in the van for anything I can use to stop this wound with.
Jack Palmer is not dying today.
Hey goldies!
I bet y'all didn't see that ending coming hehehe. I just love playing with your minds. I can already picture everyone commenting: It's Jack's POV! He's gunna die! Oh no!
Plot twist, a surprise character POV where the guy doesn't die. I'm so sneaky.
Who thought he was going to die?
Who knew he was going to live?
~ Holly Shmit