Untimely

- XV -

Mara sat silently by Jeeper's makeshift loft in the storage room. There was still time to kill before breaking and entering into one of the biggest and most secured building in the city. She was taught to protect such infrastructures, and yet here they are. She let out a small scoff, playing with Jesper's hand as he lay passed out in the cot from the exhaustion of the last few days.

"I guess I did need to check up on you after all if you're having a pissing contest with your brother's hand."

Mara flinched, letting of get brother's hand and stared at the intruder.

It was Diego. He leaned casually on the door frame with his arms crossed.

"I'm fine don't worry." Mara replied with a shrug. To say that she wasn't surprised would be a lie. She never saw Diego as a caring type towards people he barely knew or much less the enemy. However, Mara found his presence somewhat comforting.

"You sure? I don't think anybody can walk out just fine after what you've been through yesterday."

Leon's mangled corpse flashed through her mind. She remembered the sickening feeling of trying to get his blood out of her hands. Jesper and Ben would have been prepared too if she had arrived a minute later. Half of her home must be ashes now, and Matthew and Alvi are still missing.

Diego must have noticed her spacing out as he wordlessly sat beside her. Mara didn't even realize tears were already forming in her sockets. She tried blinking them away, but a few had already fallen.

"Everything's happening so suddenly." Mara wiped them away hastily. She hated people seeing her vulnerable. "I didn't even get to say goodbye."

Diego listened patiently, and Mara continued. "If I hadn't gotten myself injured yesterday, if I hadn't ran after Five . . . "

Tears fell continuously down her cheeks. Mara looked down, clenching her fists. "I should've been there and maybe-"

"Maybe you would have died along your brothers." Diego cut her off quietly as he faced her. "You're the reason Ben and Jesper are alive right now. If you weren't with us, we would have never found them in time."

"Its fucked up isn't it." Mara could only laugh incredulously, tears still cascading down her face. "Time is so fucked up. A minute could've made all the difference."

Mara closed her eyes and breathed, calming herself. She shouldn't even have let Diego in. She couldn't afford vulnerability especially in a time like this, especially not in front of someone she barely knew.

However, she was surprised to feel a large hand gently hold her shoulder. Mara was even more surprised to find that she didn't pull away.

"We can't save everyone, Mara." Diego said softly, as if he was almost crying himself. "That's just the gig we're in even if we didn't sign up for it."

Mara stayed quiet, breathing steadily and finally getting the courage to look at the man.

"I lost the woman I cared for a few months ago, and three days ago the woman I love ran away from me." Diego paused and gave a somewhat forced laugh. "You're right. It is fucked up."

"But that's just the gig we're in." Mara echoed and the man nodded.

There was a small, comforting silence between them. Mara would have never guessed she would find solace with the man who was the most eager to fight them.

"Maybe you're not so bad after all kid." Diego grinned slightly.

"We're mentally the same age." She deadpanned, but a second later her face softened. "But you're not so bad either."