fallen | ✓

Chapter 17: "For Real"

Axe's POV

I sobbed into her hair as I hugged the life out of her. Three years without seeing her face. Three years without holding her hand. I squeezed my eyes shut, more tears coming. God damn it stop crying. I let out a sob. Just a year ago I pictured her dead in my mind. I told myself it wasn't true. She wasn't dead. She was still living and breathing, but out of reach. And I found her here because of a little bottle craving son of a... Blake! I pulled back and stared at her for a moment. "Hazel." I trembled for a second. "Axe." She echoed my name, gifting me her smile. I hugged her again, but shorter this time. "I thought you died.." She buried her face in my shoulder. "I thought same to you." I squeezed her.

"I can take care of myself." She said, squeezing me back. "I was the one that carried you out of the building." I chuckled. A vision whipped across my eyes. It was back to when I put her in the tree and put the note in her palm. Had she read it? I can't even remember what I wrote. "Did you read the note?" I pushed out. She shook her head. "Not yet." I smiled and nodded. "Good."

"Now, when I'm gone-" She cut me off. "Don't talk like that.." She slapped my chest lightly with the back of her hand. "Hazel," I said calmly. "When I'm gone, then you read it, alright?" She pinched her eyes shut, stemming the tears from flowing and nodded. My hand fidgeted and I whipped around. I saw Blake's boot poke out from the hole in the building. "Blake!" I yelped. "Come meet my friend." Then I suddenly stiffened and flashed back to our conversation. When she asked if she was my "girlfriend".

Then I started praying she wouldn't say anything. The boot disappeared and a full Blake reappeared at the other end of the building. "They're cool, come on." I motioned. She slowly poked out and strode over, smiling. "Is this that Hazel girl that you rambled on about?" She giggled. "Wh-" Hazel started, chuckling. I wrapped my hand over Blake's mouth and carried her off, handcuffing her to a light pole. Of course, she kicked and screamed. I sighed and left her there as she thrashed and cursed loudly. I turned towards her people and held out my hand.

The first one to step up was the boy. He had a rock solid face and a mop of reddish hair on his head. He firmly shook my hand. I nodded and turned to the other two. The more mature one stepped forward and shook my hand. Last was the little girl.

I held out my hand. He tilted her head. "Hand... Shake?" She scratched her head, giving me a dumb look. I just rolled my eyes at her.

Then Blake's screams snapped me back and I turned again. She lifted her knife and slammed down on the chains, running and tackling me. "IT'S MY BODY I CAN DO WHAT I WANT TO!" She spat in my face, getting up and brushing herself off and shaking Hazel's hand, all signs of aggression gone. She smiled and said, "I'm Blake."

~~~

The sun was just over the horizon, setting down, making the moon rise high. A fire was formed as we all sat around it. "I think you broke my wrist," I muttered. "Sorry." She replied with a poker face. "You're just so hurt-able when you chain a psychopath to a pole while you flirt with your girlfriend's sidekicks." I elbowed her in the ribcage, seeing the small girl lift her head and snicker. "I like you." She grinned. "Beautiful." Blake blew her a kiss.

"Sorry for throwing a bottle at you guys earlier." She said flatly, rolling her shoulders. "Hadn't smashed a bottle in weeks, y'know." Hazel nodded and leaned back on a crate, watching the fire. I wracked my brain for something to say. Anything was good, I just needed something. Why can't I think straight? Maybe it's because the girl I took a bullet for two years ago was sitting right in front of me.

I waved off the thought and slapped myself mentally. "So how old are we all?" Blake chimed in, ripping through the silence. "Twenty-two." The other boy said. "Eight." The little girl said, showing the incorrect amount of her fingers. "Eighteen," Hazel said, shrugging off her backpack. I choked for a moment. "I'm fourteen." Blake beamed. "What about you Mr. Grump?" She prodded my arm. I scowled for a bit.

"Twenty." I fumed a bit. The other boy was older than me. I stared at him for a moment, squaring him up. Then my shoulders dropped. I could easily kick his ass, but right now his guard is up. And he looks like he could kick up a fight pretty well, too. I didn't have much, but this boy had a fire axe. After I finished summing him up, I looked back at the fire while a can of beans was being passed around. Then a small girl bounded from the shadows and leaped over the fire, running for the gas station nearby. I watched the tail of her shirt catch on fire as she ran. A katana hung from the loop of her belt and she was extremely short. "Hey!" I yelled getting up. "You're on fire!" She turned around and looked at the tail of her shirt, shrieking and dropping down, rolling on it. She choked out before going on the move again. "Hey-!" I grabbed her wrist but she easily flexed out of it. "Who the hell are you?" She hissed, jerking away. Her accent was Australian. And she was trying to hide it. I played a smirk on my lips and stepped a little bit closer. "I'm Axe," I replied. "And you?" She swallowed a bit, seeing the rest of the gang coming. "Sakura." She bit out. "Now get the hell away from me."

(This chapter was a bit short, but I hadn't updated in FOREVERRR AND IM SORRY qq)

(I have more details for Jenny and MASKY though. But all I had time for was one Roleplay one time and that one was half decent. I don't care if I never Roleplay with that fellow again, I AM CONTINUING THE SERIES MYSELF.)

(Best wishes, John Green.)