Needle and Thread

We'll

[$^$]

Winter was losing.

He thought-- well, more hoped than thought-- that the boss's talk of being so much stronger than him was just talk. Unfortunately, it didn't seem that way. Winter could barely jump out of the way of the thing's strikes. It wasn't helping that He couldn't seem to faze it. Weapon after weapon appeared in his hands, and time after time they were split, shattered, or melted by some sort of toxic goo. 

A mace materialized in his hands. Winter fought like a demon, an innate knowlage of combat taking over while his brain worked overtime, looking for weak spots. 

He swung his weapon into Moriarty's face, but the monster just seized it in his mouth and jerked it out of his hands, spitting it back at him. He leapt forward and slid under it, only to immediately be seized by a long, suction-cupped tentacle. Winter decided it was best not to ask what it was. 

"I'll squeeze the life out of you," he hissed. Winter gasped as spines sprouted from the tentacles, burrowing into his arms and chest. The arm squeezed tighter, creating long scratches where the spikes had moved. 

Winter's vision blurred red. This is it, he thought. I'm going to die. Well, Ananda got away. Maybe she'll find a safe place. 

"Die, puny Rook!" Moriarty spat. 

Winter heard, somewhere in the background, Ananda shouting "Don't you dare!" And then, suddenly, he was on the ground. His blood trickled into the soil and stained the tender shoots of grass that he'd fallen on. 

"Winter? Winter, get up," Ananda called. "I don't think he's dead yet, I'll need your help..."

"Unh." Winter tried to get up, but his arms wouldn't move. "Get up," he whispered frantically. "Get up, roll, do something, dammit!"

And then he was being pulled out of the grasp of Moriarty's talons, and Ananda said, "Please get up. We can not beat him alone. But we can kick his head in together."

"I don't think I can stand."

"You don't have a choice, Warrior," Ananda hissed. "Either you get up or I die. Your choice."

"Ananda, I really can't stand."

"You can. You're no idiot. It's not that deep of a wound."

" 'Tis but a flesh wound," Winter said, smiling grimly. 

"Exactly. Winter, you are going to stand up... now."

Winter stood up and looked at Moriarty. He had lost his banshee scarf, he noticed. Two of the groaning heads that served as the beast's feet now gazed up at the sky with empty eyes. Moriarty only had two legs to stand on. But he did have quite a bit of defense if they decided to come any closer. 

"You have not hampered me, Rook," he hissed. "They will regrow, after I kill you."

"But you can't kill me from there," Winter observed calmly. "Ananda... I'm going to see if we've got anything long range."

"Okay," Ananda said, brandishing an oversized sickle. "I'll get anything that comes close."

"Where did you get that?" Winter asked. 

"It appeared when you summoned your sword," Ananda replied, looking confused. "I thought you were giving it to me."

"Not conciously. Huh." Winter ran his htumb along the blade. "It's very you. Bronze blade, simple and clean. Good for decaptiation..."

"Yes."

"Excuse me while I just die of boredom over here," Moriarty said icily. "I'm going to have to flop over there myself if you keep up that [bleeeep blip beeeeep beeeeeeeeeep] chitchat."

"What a foul mouth," Ananda said.

"Yeah, I'll say," Winter added. 

"I get rather pissed when people keep me waiting. You're not dying on schedule, Mr. Rook. I'm very disappointed. I expected more from you."

Winter grinned, trying to ignore the pain of ten half-inch deep holes in his chest. "Delaying death is one of my favorite hobbies," he replied.

[@2D3D4D]

"At least give me a weapon," Benny said.

"I'm not stupid, lad," the priate captain replied. "Nor am I a gentleman."

"Fine, then," Benny said, putting up his fists. "Would you like to use the rules as devised by the Marquis of Fantalier?"

"The what now--"

Faster than a speeding bullet, Benjamin reached into his boots and threw a knife with deadly accuracy at the man's chest. It embedded itself hilt-deep in his heart.

"Whoops," Benny said. "I must've forgotten the ones about no weapons."

The captain could not appreciate this terrific one-liner, because he was dead before he hit the ground. "My hero," Nereida said, adding graciously, "Nice one-liner."

"Thank you. I used to use it during video games," Benny replied, grinning. "Never thought I'd kill another real, sentient being," he added.

"Don't start feeling guilty about it now," Nereida warned. "That'll only lead to trouble. 'Sides, he was trying to kill you."

"I know," Benny replied. "It's just... this guy. He lived. He had friends. And a mother. And people he loved. It's just weird to think that I ended it. He was the main character, in his view, and I just cut him out of the equation, if you get my mixed metaphor. It's sad."

"He wouldn't have made a very interesting main character," Nereida commented. "For one, he's super stupid if he thought you were unarmed. None of MY crew're gonna go around like beggars."

"Unless I happen to be dressed up as one to fool a captain into thinking I'm trustworthy before killing him and taking his home base," Benny corrected.

"Yeah. Unless that."

[Fandom+ (1)]

"I'm sorry."

Andesine whirled around. "Look, will you stop saying that? I forgive you. Quartz and crystal, why are you still apologizing? You get weird mood swings when you're tired. I've got it. Now shut up and just walk."

Lyra trudged alongside the elemental, still feeing as though she should try and make it up to him somehow. How did anybody do the apologizing thing? In the books she'd read, t was usually the guys. They bought flowers and chocolate and all became magically well. But what did a girl do?

Lyra thought back. Usually they just got on with it. Or got captured by the main villain-- but there was no way Lyra was letting him save her again. For one thing, he was really bad at it. For another, she didn't understand why she couldn't just kick butt on her own.

"Hey Andesine?" She ventured.

"I swear, if you say 'I'm sorry' one more time..."

"No, no. Well, yes. I don't know. I'm... kind of bad at apologies."

"I noticed."

"So, just to be clear..."

Andesine groaned. "Just stop already. Don't worry. I've got it."

Lyra considered for a minute and decided not to push it any further. "Mkay. I just feel like this is one of those things, you know, that blows up in your face if you let it sit and stew."

"Let's not, then."

"Good. We're good. Okay." Lyra felt her face grow hot and hoped to God that she wasn't blushing. That would be even more embarassing than apologizing.