Assassinated: Mellowalker New Universe

Chapter 7: Up in Flames (Pt. II)

[Warning: If you haven't read Up in Flames Pt. I yet, please read it. Also the song up there is pretty close to the mood here. Maybe listen to it when reading.]

[Alright guys! Enjoy reading y'all.]

(Alan's POV, continued)

"—We know why you are here."

I jumped when my hearing suddenly recovered beyond the hard ringing and the metallic voice threw itself upon my eardrums in the silence.

Chris opened his mouth to say something, brows still twisted together and body uncontrollably shaking from what I guessed to be a combination of blood loss, exhaustion, panic, surprise and pain.

No. No no no I don't care if I get shot I gotta help him or he's gonna pass out!

My legs moved as if they had a mind of their own, rushing my body forward to collide into Chris's unhurt arm. Avem, shield me! I cried as I heard audible gasps from all around us.

I only had a few seconds before they realized and they'd shoot.

Blood gushed against Chris's fingers when I harshly pulled his palm away from the wound. Fuck! He was losing too much blood, way too much! Reflexively I dropped down on one knee, bandages materializing as I furiously tore them hard around his upper arm. My fingers flew on the knot, pulling and tying it even impossibly tighter. Sprinkling some simple hemostatic powder that I carried around in my pocket onto the gaping wound, my other hand wrapped another bandage around it, a bit more gently this time—just for good measure.

All was done in a few seconds. I leaped up onto my feet and scanned the darkness, for any sign of danger.

Avem, how's the shield goi—

DANGER!!! DANGER!!! DANG—

The familiar sirens blared, nearly throwing me off balance in surprise. Acting purely on training instinct, my arm swept around and hit Chris on his chest hard, hearing him crash back to the floor with a heavy thud.

Something wet and warm splashed onto my ankles and I had to control the urge to jump away.

I would recognize that sweet metallic scent anywhere as long as I'm alive, but now isn't the time to get disgusted. Someone was attacking and I don't feel like Avem's been able to build that shield up perfectly yet, so I wasn't taking the risk...

—Look out for the KNIFE— Avem screamed in my head, cutting off my thoughts abruptly.

I didn't even think as I dropped onto my back just beside Chris and rolled to absorb the impact. Waves of his blood was soaking through my hoodie and the dizzying scent was cutting into my brain like huge axes, and as the drops splashed under my eyelids, I saw a flash of sparkling white against the red mist that now covered my eyesight—

Something sizzled and cracked in my head as I realized.

It was aimed for Chris.

The next thing I knew, I had launched myself high into the air, legs curving, body thrown back in a horizontal position with my hands halfway to hitting the ground on the other side of Chris's chest. I felt the blade brush past me, suck in a sharp breath as it slit open the skin on my arm.

It planted itself five inches from Chris's neck, shivering.

I let out a trembling breath.

Then the realization hit me hard in that split second.

The realization of what I've just done.

I was willing to take the knife for him.

I was willing to be impaled on the chest by a blade that might be lethal than get out of harm's way and risk him being hurt again.