𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 ⌜𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼 𝘅 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿⌟

20. 𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗨𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗗

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 20. 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗪𝗔𝗦 𝗣𝗨𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗬 𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗨𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗙𝗔𝗜𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦

"𝗦𝗢?"

The street had oddly been empty. Despite it being one of the most populated cities, the road you traveled upon seemed to be almost impossibly still. Besides a few cars that had driven past, you'd been the only one to walk down this road. That was, however, until a figure drifted in front of you, emerging from an alleyway between two stores. Echo came to stand in front of you, blocking your path, making you halt your steps.

"So what?" You said, the dark hood over your face hiding your features away from the blonde before you.

"What now?" Echo asked. "What's our plan now, Vex?"

"There is no 'our'," You stated, walking around them. "You're not coming with me."

"So you are leaving?" They said, flashing in front of you again, making you stop once more.

"I have nothing left here to worry about," You said. "I helped that girl and her stupid little band of idiots. I helped you."

"Are you going to help yourself now?" They asked.

"If it makes you leave me be, then yes," You said, moving to step around them, only for them to move with you.

"Now hold on a minute," They said. "Where exactly do you plan to go to? Back to England? Wales? Canada?"

"You don't need to know where I'm going."

"Yes, I do," They frowned. "You're my friend, Vex. I care about you and your well-being."

"Don't do this to yourself, Echo," You muttered, moving them away by their shoulder. "You should have known that it would come down to this. I told you I was leaving after this was over."

"To pursue some fucker that's dead?!" They shouted, yelling after you as you walked away. "You're stupid, Vex! It's going to be a wild goose chase! You'll get yourself killed!"

You glanced back at them before turning to face forward, holding up the ticket for the boat you were heading for.

"Then he better hope I get killed before I get to him."

"Vex!" Echo yelled. "Stop this!"

"What do you think I'm doing?" You called, turning to face them. You extended your arms out on either side of you. "I'm finishing the shit I started!"

Echo broke into a sprint to catch up with you. "Then take me with you!" They said. "Let me help!"

"No," You replied firmly. "This is where your journey ends, and mine begins."

"I want to help you," They frowned.

"Then stay out of my way," You said. "I work best alone."

"Vex, please," Echo said.

"Plead all you want," You said, your cloak swaying as you turned. "The decision is final. And if you dare to follow me, I'll drop you in the middle of the Atlantic and make you swim back."

"This isn't fair," They said, laying their hand on their chest. "You helped me, Vex! Let me repay you!"

"You already have," You said.

"No, I haven't!" They yelled, jumping in front of you, making you stop with a deep huff. "I've done nothing to repay you for everything that you've done! You saved me, Vex! You saved my friends--my family! You may not like it, Vex, but you're my family now! You saved everyone! If it wasn't for you, every single person I care about would be dead!"

"Stop playing me out to be your hero," You frowned.

"You are!" Echo exclaimed, grabbing you by your shoulders, practically rattling your entire body. "You are, Vex! You need to see that! You've saved hundreds of thousands of lives!"

"Echo," You said, moving their hands away. "Stop trying to sugarcoat it. You're not coming with me."

"Vex, please!" They cried, watching as you began to walk away. "You can't do this on your own!"

"Maybe not," You replied. "But I don't want to be responsible for your death. I've got enough names under my own already."

"Is that the only reason?" They asked. "Y-You don't want me to get hurt?"

"Just stay here," You said, rolling your eyes.

"W-Will..." Echo trailed off before speaking up again when you'd paused. "Will you ever come back?"

"No. But don't get all choked up about it either," You said. "You look ugly when you cry."

"H-Hey! Ba-Bastard!"

"I'll see you around, you fuckin' wanker," You chuckled, waving a hand over your shoulder.

"Wait! Here!"

You turned, catching whatever Echo had tossed at you. When you looked down, you saw that it was a piece of taffy.

"For the road!" They called.

You chuckled and unwrapped the candy, giving them a small wave before disappearing into the night.

You knew Echo wouldn't let you disappear so quickly. Deep down, somewhere in the back of your mind, you knew that they would follow you. There was just something about them that made you think that.

But where you would go from here? You truly had no idea. You just knew you needed to get out of this city. You were going nowhere with staying here and doing little side things. You needed to divert your attention back to the main thing. What you promised many people you would accomplish.

Finding and killing Dio Brando.

You had your suspicions of where he could be, ironically. The foundation had helped you out, alongside Speedwagon himself, but after you learned what you needed, you didn't rely on them anymore. You could do this by yourself.

You stepped onto the edge of the building, your eyes narrowing as you looked down upon the city of New York. Even now, at almost the witching hour, there were lads stumbling out of bars, women giggling drunkenly and stumbling into cabs, and people passed out on the side of the road, either homeless or close to death. It was oddly strange how it reminded you of your hometown.

You truly do miss it in London, when things weren't a living hell. When James would scold you for coming back late and covered in bruises. When Samatha would jump into your arms and when Helen would ask you for help with her homework. When Elijah would meet you at the tavern and drink with you before anyone had come between the two of you. When Harry would take drinks from your ale and James would yell at him for doing so, and when Michael would latch onto your leg and let you drag him around the tenant apartment with him on you.

But unfortunately, life is a cruel thing. Despite them all having been younger than you, you out-lived your siblings. You'd put-lived the only father you had. You out-lived the best friend you had when you have when you were 6. And now, you out-lived the man who'd made you into the best thief.

Life was purely corrupted in the sense of fairness.

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 20. 𝗘𝗡𝗗
𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: 8 𝗗𝗘𝗖𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥 2021
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