*WARNING: Graphic violence, blood and angst ahead. Viewer discretion is advised *
Finnian began to run without hesitation, the immediate danger of his situation striking him square in the stomach. He ran, his stomach heavy with boiling nausea as he screamed to Hugh from across the warehouse.
“Hugh! Run!” he cried as he ran, his blood rushing throughout his veins. He panicked, unsure of where to go. Staring into the maze of high metal shelves before him, he made a split second decision and turned right into one of the aisles. He continued to run, his steps faltering as he began to lose momentum. He made the mistake of looking behind him, Armie Stranger and Ark Lade on his tail. Armie held a long dagger in her hand, the silver blade facing outward in her hand. Ark, trailing behind Armie had his usual Battleaxe slung across his shoulder. Finnian whimpered as he saw the dried blood that caked its flat planes.
Finnian looked to the side, glimpsing a blur of color through the layers of shelves, before looking forward again. His breathes became heavier and quicker, and his heart pumped even more as his body began to tire. He began to slow down even more before feeling a crushing weight hurl itself into his back, sending him flying across the concrete floor. He hit his head as he collided with the floor, sending a wave of dull pain through his skull. He let out a groan as he felt hands grab at the back of his shirt, his body limp and weak. He was lifted up, his head spinning and his back aching. A cold muscular arm, slowly slithered around his neck like a snake before quickly tightening. Finnian began to squirm about, groaning and helplessly whimpering. His breathing slowed as his face turned a dark purple color. His bloodshot eyes stared intently at the ceiling bulging out of his face, similar to his veins. He was helpless, his legs kicking and dangling beneath him, barely touching the ground.He cried as life left his small frail body, a murky, blurry figure forming in his vision. He heard vague echoes, hollars and screams as the figure rushed at them, something glinting in his hand. The figure rushed past him and there was another cry, this one of war.
The next moment he was on the ground, gasping for air like a fish out of water as he collapsed onto the ground once again. He laid there still as the sound around him began to gain clarity again. He lifted himself off of the ground, the world tilted and blurred. He woozily turned around, faltering about. He looked before him at a rush of movement, a boy about his head with a mop of black hair darted about Ark and Armie with a small knife in his hand- it was Hugh. finnian helplessly watched,his body dizzy and sick, as Hugh recklessly swung his knife about- hoping to land a hit. Ark took a step back as Armie fought back, her movements with her knife like that of a rabid animal. She swung and slashed, cutting through Hughes forearm. Finnian let out a soft yelp as he watched blood spray from the knife and onto the floor. Arks head cracked towards Finnian, his single eye trained onto him a bird of prey.
He dashed at Finnian, who began to run again. His steps were lazy and uncoordinated, no match for Ark who quickly caught up to him. Ark caught him by the hair, yanking him back before slamming the side of his head with a heavy handed fist. Finnian began to collapse to the ground before Ark grabbed him by the hair, and began dragging him away, the boy beneath his quivering and screaming.
Hugh quickly glanced over at Finn, watching with agony as he watched him being dragged away by Ark. Taking advantage of the distraction Armie lands a precise yet shallow cut yet again on his forearm. He began to swing back, blood soaking through his black tee shirt before dripping onto the floor. The two began to fight again, a series of reckless yet potentially deadly swings of their knives. Hugh found himself being backed up against the nearest shelf, Armie’s attacks quicker and harder to block than his. She suddenly shoved him back , his back slamming into the shelf. Before he knew it she had him pinned to the wall, her knife pressed against his neck.
“I hope you know this isn’t anything personal kid” she murmured, her other hand snatching the knife he already possessed out of his hand. He looked into her dark violent eyes with vicious temerity, Finnian was in danger. He couldn’t just give up like this. She leaned into his face even closer, brining her voice to a whisper, Finnians cry for help sounding out through the warehouse. Hugh stared into her with desperate green eyes before spitting into her face. Armie groaned,her eyes burning with fire as she released the knife from his neck. Before he could run however, she had a hold of his shoulder. She swung him to the side before throwing him to the ground. Armie jumped on top of him, taking his own knife and sinking it through his right shoulder. Hugh’s pupils dilated before she used her knee to slam into his stomach. He screamed, the shock fading as fire enveloped his shoulder, blood spilling from him and onto the ground. Hugh screamed louder as Armie slammed her palm onto the hilt of the knife, furthering burying it into his body, her other knife traveling towards his neck.
“Now it’s personal you little asshole” she whispered leaning down into his face, the cold tip of her knife gently prodding the underside of chin. Hugh whined in pain , as she looked at him with fiery brown eyes. He looked at her, his own eyes filled with pain. She was in relatively clean condition, her tight bouncy curls resting on her shoulders. She wore almost the same thing as Hugh; a pair of flexible black trousers, a form fitting black t-shirt and the same pair of black snow boots. Yet as Hugh noticed, Armie had a white belt strapped across her torso. On it were strapped three small dark green grenades- the ones she had taken from Hunter Gallowind who died earlier in the games by Armie’s hand.
“We’re just gonna have to kill you, and your fucking little-” She began before Hughs hand shot at her torso, desperately grabbing at one of the grenades. Armie ducked back, his hand catching the trigger, releasing it as she pulled back. Armie screamed as the triggered grenade fell off her body and tumbled onto the floor next to them. She quickly climbed away sprinting away as Hugh scrambled off of the ground before running, slipping on his own blood back into the ground. He continued to scramble and crawl before getting off and running again, the knife still embedded in his shoulder. He ran, just as the explosion went off.
The grenade exploded in a ball of fire, enveloping part of the aisle and sending shards of shrapnel everywhere. A piece of metal flew past Hugh’s head as the force of the blow knocked over several large shelves, triggering a domino effect around the whole warehouse. Hugh continued to run, his ears ringing. He frantically looked about the warehouse, searching the aisles for Finnian. As he ran each stepped faltered. He was becoming more and more lightheaded as blood continued to leak from his back. He ran to the end of the warehouse, where he saw them- Ark Lade and Finnian Calibur.
Finnian’s arm was tight in Ark’s grip, his axe in his other hand. Finnian struggled to get free, pushing all of his weight forward until he saw Hugh. He looked up at Hugh, his eyes brightening. Blood dripped through his hair and down his forehead, it was evident Ark had subjected him to quite a beating. Hugh’s eyes burned with intense fire as he looked at Ark from the distance, his eyes only jumping to Finn when he heard him calling out for him. Ark locked a single cold blue eye with Hugh across the distance before taking Finnian’s arm and twisting it. To avoid the potential snapping of it, Finnian turned with it now facing Ark. Ark let go of his arm and pushed him forward. Finnian staggered back as he watched Ark bring his axe up and swing it down. Hugh watched in horror, letting out a bloody scream as he watched Ark’s axe slice through the air and directly into Finnians stomach. Finn let out a slow whimper as the axe cut across his stomach before being pulled out. Hugh ran with all of his might crying out Finns name. Before he knew it, Finn’s arm was wrapped around his shoulders, and the knife in his own shoulder now gone, instead stabbed into Ark’s leg.
Hugh and Finnian ran for the door, both leaving a trail of blood as they went along. Finnians abdomen was soaked through, his own hand gently pressed against it, also soaked crimson red. He tripped at fumbled, leaning all of his weight into Hugh’s body who also fumbled about. They got to the open door, fleeing outside into the warmth of the sun. As they continued to run, Hugh looked at Finn, thousands of emotions racing through his mind. The smaller boy coughed up blood, drips of it running down his lips and chin. Hugh continued to watch him as they ran, watching the color drain from his face. They slowed down to a near walk, the trail of bloody drops still behind them. They were one again surrounded by a maze of white marble skyscrapers and glittering silver towers. Both were a bloodied mess, the front of Finn’s body drom the stomach down soaked with crimson. Hugh turned to Finn.
“Finn...Finn… They’re gonna get us.” he murmured, facing him. Finnian turned to him, hunched over, another bloodied hand placed on his stomach. He looked up at Hugh, his eyes watering. He cried to him in a series of whimpers and pleas.
“You have to go… Hugh, you have to go” he whimpered, blood dripping from his mouth. “I can’t…. I can’t go further, if you stay here Hugh…” he began to beg the boy.
“No!” Hugh cried out, gripping Finnian’s shoulders. “I can’t just leave you here! I can’t do that” he whined looking at Finn who continued to cry, streams of hot tears running down his pale cheeks.
“You have too!” he coughed up. “You can’t just stay here and die!” he cried burying his head into Hugh’s bloodied shoulder. Hugh embraced him, gentle not to hurt him. Finnian lifted his head off of Hugh’s shoulder, his forehead stained with his blood, and looked up at him, their hazel eyes locking with each other. Hugh’s hand wandered into Finn’s hair, slowly caressing the side of his head.
“Finnian… I love you” he whimpered, a tear running from his bloodshot eyes. Finnian gently nodded.
“I love you too” he murmured before leaning up to kiss Hugh on the lips, their faces pressed together. Hugh closed his eyes as he enjoyed these last moments with Finnian who’s body slowly went more and more limp before slumping to the ground, smearing the blood from his lips onto Hugh. He looked up at Hugh, desperation crawling back into his crying eyes.
“Please…” he whimpered before looking down at his stomach, the blood contining to flow. He looked back up, the realization of death true in his drooping eyes. Hugh locked eyes with him one last time before nodding, his cheeks flushed a brilliant red. He turned around and began to ran. He ran as fast as he could. He ran to survive, he ran for Finn, he couldn’t die- he had to be strong for him. He wept and cried more and more, wailing as he heard the cannon blast in the distance.
BOOM
RIP FINNIAN CALIBUR