〚FEATURED + WATTYS SHORTLIST 2021〛
Someone tried to kill him. Someone nearly succeeded.
A traitor walks among them.
The question is, who?
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"A sky full of stars and he was looking at her."
He was a man with a deep and profound love for the stars...
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"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-"
