3rd life, but make it Corika!

{Flowers} The Widow

Crimson flowers decorated Army's hair. He didn't even know how this happened- He blinked, and he had died. Creeper explosion, probably.

Small white buds rested in the crown, Army didn't want to know what those were for. He didn't care.

Army had woken up in the bed at his first home. He expected to feel Aloha's warmth next to him. The only warmth was instead just the blankets. Army wanted to cry but he was too tired to. Too tired to care.

He was like that, since Aloha's death.

He pried himself out of the bed, and walked outside. Flowers had grown, red around Aloha's corpse. The floral scent was comforting.

Today, Army decided on a plan of attack. Literally. He wanted to kill Mask. An eye for an eye is fair, so how about a life for a life?

Army grinned. The mere thought of Mask's blood on his skin and sword made him almost giddy. Getting his revenge... Oh, he could hardly wait!

He needed to be careful, though, lest he fall into his lover's ghostly embrace too soon. He needed to plan.

The ginger ran his finger along his blade, head swimming with ideas. "An ambush, maybe. They only have three red lives and we have more lives in total. It could work... An ambush it is."

Army sheathed his sword, carefully heading to the cottage. But, something was wrong.

.... That was Gloves, standing in front of the door. They had their sword drawn, as if waiting for something. They didn't seem to see Army, though. A relief, but a minor one.

In a panic, Army checked his com. Only two deaths, but both were from his side.

>Avi was slain by Mask. Avi is now a red life!

>Goggles was slain by Emperor. There are no more green lives!

An unrelated death of Prince was above. Not a single person had three lives, now. That was...worrying.

Army gripped his sword. If he could get Emperor or Mask out here, he could kill them. But he needed to deal with Gloves, seemingly standing guard to the massacre.

He rushed forward, Gloves' reflexes causing them to quickly block the hit. "Ambushing the ambushers, huh?" Gloves chuckled, grabbing their other sword. "Shame it's doomed to fail."

"You'd be surprised." Army growled. He kicked Gloves to the ground, sword now at their throat. "Let me in, and no one gets hurt."

"I have trouble believing that. If I let you in, you'll kill Mask!"

"That's the point." Army said. "If I kill him, this war will be over. Your side will just be you and Emperor. You'd have no choice but to surrender, and this- the bloodshed will be over. Finally."

"No." Gloves said, their voice as solid and steady as a rock. "I won't let you!"

"You chose your fate." Army thrusted his blade through Gloves' heart, his face blank and emotionless.

Gloves heaved and coughed up blood. which splattered onto the ground. "O-oh, fuck y-you." They managed to get out.

Army only grinned, it was unhinged and not like him. "Goodbye, Gloves." He took his sword and brought it through Gloves' neck.

Instantly, his com buzzed. He knew it as Gloves' death. Emperor would be heartbroken but then the other side would understand his grief. His rage. And they would be dead soon enough.

This wasn't like Army. How he used to be, anyways. Army would normally be in mourning of his lover for the rest of his life. Stuck in the depression stage of the model of grief. But many people added revenge as a stage and, who was Army to disagree? He now wanted to fucking kill Mask. He needed his goddamn revenge for Aloha's death. It was fair, wasn't it? Eye for an eye, life for a life.

He gripped his sword, pulling it out of Gloves' dead body. He entered the cottage to be met with an even stronger scent of blood. Army had become used to it.

Mask and Emperor seemed to have been deep in a conversation when Army had barged in, blood on his clothes. Emperor realized Gloves' fate, far too soon it seemed.

"Y-You..." He rushed at Army, sword drawn. Army simply knocked him back.

"I'm not here for you, Castilo. I'm here for Mask."

Mask raised an eyebrow, approaching Army slowly. "And why is that?"

"You killed Aloha, bitch. I'm here for my revenge."

She only laughed. "There's still so many lives to take, you want to kill me? Be patient, little fox."

What was once an endearing and loving nickname from his lover was now a threat, a weapon meant to harm Army. But Army didn't react.

"I'm not the patient type anymore, Kane. That ended when you decided to start this god forsaken war." Army said. "It's only you and Emperor now. You have no hope of winning. Surrender now, and let me kill you."

"This war was never one to win." Mask said. They walked past Army, out the door. "This was one to kill. As long as people died cause of it, I've already won, little fox. Emperor, come."

Emperor followed Mask out of the cottage, leaving Army alone with the smell of blood.

"...W-why, I could've killed him!" Army yelled to himself. "I- Why d-didn't I!?"

In his rage, he swore- he could hear a whisper on the wind.

It's not time yet, Army. You'll act to kill him when the time is right.

"...A-Aloha?" Army called out, his voice suddenly as quiet as a mouse. "B-beloved, is that you?"

Silence.

The ginger clutched onto the ring around his neck. "D-Don't worry, love. I'll a-avenge you. S-soon..."