I'm quitting heroing oneshots

Episode 12 AU

3rd pov

Honestly, with the fact that it is a meeting between Echidna and her Generals, Leo sees no reason to be vigilante, sees no reason to think any of the lower demons might ignore the queen despite everything, so despite the fact that he has a feeling of unease the entire way up the mountain after teleporting, something pricking at his conscious that was potentially outside the room, he figures it won't be a problem now that they've teleported away.

With the ensuing fight that happens, as he desperately tries to get them to kill him, ignoring everything they say regardless of how much some of it hurts him, how much some of it touches him since it's been so long since anyone cared, he doesn't even bother to think about it, since it's not something he plans on having to deal with anyways, since if everything goes to plan he will be dead by the end of it, and thus finally at peace, despite not really wanting it, because he finally found something to live for, after so many years of nothing, just empty loneliness and darkness.

He's sprawled on the ground, the stone - his heart, the philosophers stone - out in the open, the emergency activation still in place even though it's starting to close, blinking at the sky after finally shutting up that damn voice that had not left him alone in forever, can see Echidna from the corner of his eye as she leans over him and opens her mouth to say something, except something else happens. They all exclaim in surprise, Leo jabbing his arm forward in reflex, only to stare in surprise as he coughs up a small amount of blood, staring at where his arm is piercing the wing of a demon. Their arm is through his chest, gripped into a fist and he can already feel his awareness fading, the stone no longer connected to him in any way and thus his body no longer able to continue running.

Echidna can only stare in horror and surprise at the demon who dared disobey her, who perhaps had just ruined the best thing they have had in ages, the hope for peace and everything, by being a greedy bastard, or perhaps a vengeful one. Lily stares in shock, tears frozen in her eyes, tail puffed up, mouth barely open, Shutina can only feel anger, her grip tightening on her staff as she prepares a spell, in order to punish the damned demon, Mernes had flinched back on instinct and goes to lunge forward in order to grab them before they can escape or move at all, but it in fact Edvard that reacts the quickest, pulling his arm back and punching the demon across the face, launching them just barely pass the mage and Queen. They hit the ground and bounce a few times, but manage to stop their momentum and crouch, staring in shock and confusion where the demon Queen and Generals are gathered around that damned hero, before turning their attention to their hand - covered in blood, muscle and a bit of bone - opening it to peer at the stone they have been desperate for, that will let them help their word and the portal.

"You dare...!" Shutina has no words for any of the things she wants to say, her voice catching the demon's attention, who cowers at the rage, the anger, the downright hatred in the usually gentle eyes, though the thing that strikes fear in them and actually has them fleeing in fear of their life - leaving the stone behind, something in their instinct saying they will die if they take it - is the dark, angry, cold look in Edvard's eyes, because the man had only ever showed a fiery temper, for it to be so bad he has gone into a cold one... They don't want to face that. "I've memorized their face." Mernes mutters to the other two, peering over the man's shoulder from where he is clinging to the his back, Echidna and Lily working on Leo, the Queen trying to heal him and Lily desperately attempting to keep him awake.

Nothing they are doing appears to work and Shutina gently picks the stone up off the ground, dusting it off and peering at it curiously, wondering how on earth it is so warm in such a cold place, but extremely glad it is not broken, chipped or otherwise affected, because maybe they can figure out how to bring the damn idiot back yet, though she has a feeling it will take a bit more than that, she'll just have to do some research when they get back if they can do nothing here. She hurries back at a quick stride, Edvard and Mernes at her side and offers the stone to their Queen, who takes it gently, reverently, because it is more than just a powerful stone, it is the heart of their friend and they treasure it. She tries healing magic while borrowing powerful from the stone, she tries the closest thing to revival magic, she tries putting the heart back in roughly where it sat, considering it's just a gaping hole, but nothing works.