"What if it was the prince who needed saving?"
Not receiving an ounce of love even in his childhood, he became heartless. His cold exterior scared people away, and not to mention his detached, unemotional personality. Haunted by his past, he was use...
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Eight passageways. Thirteen on each side. That'll be a hundred and four in total, excluding the ones in the back. I pick up my phone. "Get ready" "You got it"
I ignore the sounds of shattering glass and metal breaking, and glance at the doorway.
Holding the gun tight in my hands, I fire madly at the counter, and as expected, three men fall dead behind it. I keep the gun at my side and make a run for the stairs. Behind me, gunshots echo in the hall, almost blasting my eardrums with each one.
"Felix, block the entrance" I say to him, pressing the device closer to my ear. "Got it, boss"
Surprisingly, things are calmer than I had expected. No grenades, at least not yet. No ETF deaths , though there have been thirteen ACE deaths. "Fourteen and counting" Bianca speaks. I smile to myself.
"Fifteen" "Sixteen" "Eighteen. Two birds with one rock" "Show off"
They're having way too much fun with this. After all, it's been quite some time since we've engaged in something like this.
"Zane" Roxy's voice speaks through the earplug. "What?" "Devin. Back entrance"
I duck behind a counter as a series of shots fly above my head. I crouch, raise the gun, and shoot. Four down.
When I reach the back entrance, occasionally firing at red shirts of the ACE and jumping over random obstacles, I spot Devin.
I hastily jump the highest spot on the balcony and aim the shot at his head.
"Felix, out of the way" I grip the gun tighter. He raises his head and looks at me while fires ring around all sides of the back garden. It's not so gardeny anymore, however. Blood, ash, smoke and guns clutter the entire space, the air blacker than sin.
Getting the signal, he jumps out of the way when I shoot, quickly getting behind a crate as the bullet rams straight into the back of Devin's skull.
A sigh of relief leaves my lips, but it quickly transforms into a loud grunt when a bullet, in return, dives into my leg with so much force I fall backwards onto the cold, hard floor of the balcony.
I curse loudly, biting my lip so hard it draws blood.
"Zane! Are you okay?" Bianca screams over the earpiece. I wince. "He just got shot and you're asking him if he's okay?" "This isn't the fucking time to argue! Zane, can you walk?"
"I'll be fine" I grunt as I clutch the wall, blood pooling at my feet, and push myself to my feet.
I hear footsteps behind me and turn around, but not fast enough. In the blink of an eye, the butt of a rifle smashes into my skull, knocking me off balance.
I fall to the ground, the gun flying out of my hand. When I raise my head with an effort, I see a very familiar face.
Suddenly, the rug is pulled from under my feet.
"You" I rasp "How did you-" "How did I get out? It wasn't that hard, actually. Though I should say, Astraea isn't the best guard"
My heart drops at the mention. Every single part of my body catches on fire at the thought of her getting hurt. Had it not been for the bullet engraved in my leg, I would've fled the place to make sure she was okay.
"You wouldn't dare to hurt her" Sweat forms on my brow. The pain on my leg doesn't seem so bad now.
"I didn't" He grins at me in a way that makes my stomach flip.
I try to get up, but immediately fall back down when he steps on my foot. I grunt loudly. "I swear to every fucking deity there is, if you touch a hair on her head, I'll decapitate you in an open marketplace" I grit my teeth.
"Why, Zane?" He smiles, showing his teeth. "You can't lose your girlfriend the same way you lost your mother?"
It feels like my heart is crushed in a fist when the words leave his mouth. All my nerves go solid, my gaze fixed on his face.
No. No. No. No.
"Don't you fucking dare!" I scream, pouncing on him. I catch him by surprise. He falls to the floor, the gun clattering out of his hand. When I see the opportunity, I swiftly grasp the gun and point it at his forehead. The pain on my leg seems worse now. Blood trickles down, forming a puddle below us.
"I should've killed you ages ago" I tighten my jaw as my hand shoots out to his neck, squeezing as hard as I possibly can. His eyes bulge out of the sockets, his pulse wild under my fingers.
"You need me" He somehow manages to form a smile. I press tighter. "I would need a fucking bottle opener more than I need you right now" He chuckles lightly, tipping his head down a little.
His eyes bore into mine, and somehow, I just know. My heart falls to the floor as a light laugh leaves his cracked lips, chiming in the hall.
"Where is she?" I grunt, using all my body force to press on his throat. He chokes. "WHERE THE FUCK IS SHE?" His head falls back, not bothering to answer the question. In the earpiece, everyone screams my name wildly. I don't answer.
"You need me" I remove the gun from his forehead and shove it in his mouth, his eyes go wide and he shakes his head, making each shake clear.
"Tell me where she is" I bark. He struggles under my grip, but eventually gives in. I take the gun out from his mouth and put it back in it's former position; his forehead. He takes deep breaths, staring at me in a deathly glare.
"I'll take you to her" I wait for the catch, and eventually, it's comes. "But" He states. I internally roll my eyes.
"But, what?" "But you will spare me and Mal, and leave ACE alone for the rest of your life. I couldn't care less about what you do with Fredrick, but me and my brother," He grunts "You won't harm us in any way".
I go still at the words.
No. They killed your mother. You can't just let them go!
Every single one of my thoughts run wild through my head, banging at my skull.
They killed your mother in cold blood. How could you let them go?
They have Astraea. How could you not let them go?
The internal conflict I have with myself keeping raging so hard I don't realise the team run into the room, seizing Tyril.
"How the fuck did you two even escape?" Felix ties him to a large pillar near the far end. I remain frozen.
Am I willing to let them go for her?
Fuck. I don't know. Am I?
"Zane? Are you okay? Your leg!" Roxy runs over with Bianca, inspecting the wound. My shoulders slump.
"Are-are you okay?" Felix questions. I lift my head to meet his eyes.
"Search the base" I order. He looks confused as ever. "What?" "Search the base for Astraea"
In a second, the realisation hits him like a train. His eyes widen and a hand runs through his hair.
"I'll call Royce" He leaves. From the far end, Tyril keep laughing like a manic. I clench my fists and stand up with a groan.
"Zane! You're hurt. Don't fucking stand up!" Bianca slings my arm over her shoulders. I keep staring at Tyril.
"You want her? You spare us" He mouths from afar.
A/N
Unrelated but who else loves listening in to family drama. It's always the aunts that start it all. And then the uncles take their wife's side and it ends up in a huge argument.
Anyway, be sure to vote, comment and tell me what you think!
