Anybody But You

123

Chapter One-Twenty-Three

Vibe: Babylon by 5 Seconds of Summer

As the knives were about to leave her drawn back hand, Daisy jumped back. Barely getting away in time, Henry's sword sliced through the air where her body had just been.

And then the dance commenced.

Daisy stepping back and forth as she threw the knives; Henry swinging at her like a maniac; each occasionally jumping back from the blades coming for them; and an enraged yet light humorous discussion bordering on ridiculous as they tried to kill each other.

"Where were you when we were recruiting for the empire?" The sound of metal hitting metal sounded out.

"Busy making your daddy say my name."

"Wrong father, mine's dead. Could have used your skills on the field. Such a shame I'm going to have to kill you instead—you don't happen to have a sibling your mother loved more who can take your spot, do you?" A swish noise their feet made jumping back and forth along with the swoosh of their blades missing each other filled the air.

"That bitch is asleep with a dagger in her heart—mommy and daddy, too."

"Jealousy's a bitch. The empire is always looking for knights... and better yet, why not their own personal psychopathic whore?" More clashing and huffing as the two kept it up.

"Should I clean your mouth out with soap before or after I slice you into ribbons? Don't call a lady a whore."

Bleeding out from the multiple lacerations, Alice grabbed the newest bloody wounds below her ribs at her side—the pain in her body now reaching an unimaginable level as she breathed shakily. Darkness spotted her vision as she held on desperately to the reins on the remaining mages that George hadn't yet gotten to; the staff laying on the ground beside her. No longer could she tell which blood was hers as the red liquid steadily dripped off her and stained everything around her.

Finally managing to get through the wall of Corpses blocking him from helping Henry and Alice, Arthur cut them down. His golden hair was unruly and covered in the corpses thickening blood as he looked around desperately for his combat partner. Instead, his eyes found Alice stained in vibrant red, struggling to keep going; her face morphed in the excruciating pain as she struggled to pull herself up.

She could feel the dagger still stuck in her thigh ripping into her muscles with each move she made. The pressure inside the blood waiting to pour out from the plugged wound was almost unbearable. She almost wanted to pull it out and give in to the dark drowsiness that would surely come quick.

Bending down to her height, Arthur grabbed her arm—roughly pulling her back to her impaired feet as she whimpered. "Where's Henry?" He asked hurriedly as Alice replaced his rushed help with the staff binding her to the mages as she leaned into the warm, blood stained wood.

"Fighting Daisy," she squeaked out of her tightened throat, motioning exhaustedly towards the river where they were slowly closing in on one another.

The corpses that Daisy had temporarily put down were all twisting and curling upwards—gathering back their strength. Swearing, Alice stumbled backwards.

Arthur looked torn—his eyes lingering on Henry who was also in need of help—before swinging his thin sword towards the nearing corpses. One of the corpses blocked the hit, swinging back with their own sword.

"Go to Henry." Alice gritted her teeth as their weapons clashed loudly, "I'll be fine."

"That's a lie." Arthur angrily spoke, blocking another corpse's attack. "Otherwise I'd be helping Henry." He spoke more words to her than he had all day—the meaning bluntly clear.

He couldn't leave her despite how much he wanted to.

Alice shook her head, refusing to be a burden even when she could barely stand by herself. "Then let's go there together." She clenched her jaw as she forced herself to move.

She couldn't feel much passed the pain and numbness, but she could sense the coldness in her body. The horrible feeling that something terrible was going to happen if she didn't stop it. Her breath was laboured as she watched the distance between Henry and Daisy lessen... closer and closer with each moment passed.

"Please, Arthur." Alice begged as he blocked her back.

They were almost at the riverbed now, but Alice knew she wouldn't reach Henry in time. His steps faltering and his swings becoming heavy. Meanwhile, even as she grew tired, Daisy was smiling ear to ear. This was fun to her. Bleeding profusely, she just kept blindly throwing the daggers and grabbing them again as they bounced back from his sword.

"Arthur, fucking save Henry!" She screamed, meeting his eye desperately.

Her body was freezing now. She felt physically sick—her heart heavier than it had ever been.

Arthur's lips curled up as he finally backed away from the corpses and Alice, his eyes leaving hers. Catching Henry's tiring form just a short distance away from them, he dropped everything as he ran—pushing passed the quickly reviving but broken corpses.

Alice backed up, limping heavily as her eyes flickered from the mangled corpses to Henry. Arthur was steps away, seconds from saving Henry from a horrible fate.

Hobbling backwards again, the falling apart corpses were also seconds away from getting her—their weapons raised above their crushed-in heads like batons about to bludgeon her to death.

"You don't belong here." They muttered over and over again with broken jaws and teeth. "You shouldn't be here."

Down their swords and daggers came in a flurry of violent rain—heading straight for Alice as she dropped to the ground and covered her head.

This was it—this was what she got for messing with fate. A shortened lifespan.

But her death never came. Instead everything somehow got colder—her body shivering as she opened her eyes to see a familiar sword blocking the attacks. Her heart dropped as she shook her head in denial.

"Henry—"

"He told me to!" Arthur spat knowingly.

"Henry!" Multiple voices screamed right at that moment—George, Maggie and Talia all but a second too late to the scene.

Alice looked over just in time to see Daisy's dagger stab into Henry's stomach as he failed to block it. Using her speed enhancement, Daisy mercilessly jumped up and wrapped her legs around his torso as—in a blur—she stabbed him in his chest over and over again as he stumbled back, dropping his sword.

His blood was everywhere as Daisy jumped off him; Henry swaying on his feet as he began to violently cough up even more blood while bleeding out. Still holding the blade she'd used to stab him, as he finally fell, Daisy mercilessly tore into his body. From his wounded stomach to all the way up into his chest cavity...

Daisy practically split him in half.

~*~*~

A.N.

This one hurt me to write. Well, so did Jay's death, but this one was just different—especially because Arthur had to choose the fate of his bff and he chose to listen to his bff rather than save him. He respected him so much he did the opposite of what he wanted to do, and man that burns the heart. Like gah, the guilt Arthur is going to probably carry with him as he doubts his decision (unless I kill him off too... you never know. I don't even know).

I was really rooting for Henry though. I apologize profusely if you were as well, I knew he was going to die for a while before this, but boy it still hurt to write. BUT at the very least, George doesn't have to live with being responsible for his death... here's a secret that might give you some solace, when George hit him a few chapters back, they broke his ribs and punctured his lungs. The dude would have died by drowning in his blood without immediate medical attention (a very unpleasant death that would have been relatively slow and extremely panic inducing, unlike a swift billion knives to the heart).

So, Rest In Peace, Henry. You were a good character with a lot of loyalty and heart all the way to the end. I will miss writing scenes with you in them.

Thank you so much for reading!