TAG! You're Next...

Chapter XVII: Betrayal

It was morning... The sound of the truck starting woke Lucas up. He was confused though why the truck was starting. He got up out of the tent and saw Eric starting it.

"Hey. What are you doing?" Lucas asked.

"I-i'm trying to get the truck heated. It has a lot of ice." Eric said, sounding suspicious.

Lucas stared at him. He did see the ice... So he let him go. Cindy woke up and put her glasses on. She saw Elliot laying beside her. She got out of the tent and packed her bag. Then Elliot woke up The first thing she did when she woke up was look at Lucas. He didn't notice.

"Hey! We should get breakfast!" Cindy insisted. Lucas agreed and sat beside Cindy. She gave him a little of the soup. The rest was to Elliot. The soup was cold though, so Elliot used her magic to heat it. While they ate, they took their last moment to chat and laugh.

"Such a good friendship... I can't abandon it... But, for my daughter's sake..." Eric said to himself very quietly.

After 10 minutes, the three finally finished eating, and the truck was heated up. The next rune location was on Kronos Mountain, which is beside Kronos City. After they wrapped their food up, they walked to the truck. Eric was already inside.

"So... After we get that final rune, we go straight to Frostfall Mansion... I hope you guys are ready... Knowing that demon, it will try to attack." Lucas said.

"Yeah... We know it might..." Cindy said.

"And I need to slay it?" Elliot's text asked.

"Unfortunately, yes... But don't worry! We'll help you! You just need to do the finishing blow." Lucas said, disappointed.

"It's okay. I can do it." Elliot said. She felt very determined.

"Well... If you think you can try, then I guess I can't stop you... Just... be careful... please." Lucas now likes Elliot more than usual. It makes sense he feels the same as Eric... (Or does he) Lucas grabbed the door and tried to open it. It was locked. "Hey Eric, the doors locked."

"I know... And that's a good thing."

"Wait what?" Lucas tried to force the door open. "Eric! Open the door now!" Lucas commanded. Elliot and Cindy then tried to force their doors open as well.

"I can't do that!" Eric then drove away. He was moving extremely fast.

"ERIC!!! Eric you son of a- GAH!!!" Lucas was very furious.

Lucas then started to run to catch the runaway truck. Elliot and Cindy were behind him. They weren't getting anywhere close to the truck. Elliot, Cindy and Lucas were getting exhausted.

"What do we do!?" Cindy asked.

They all thought for a moment. Elliot had an idea.

"The Rune!"

"That'll drain some of its energy though." Lucas said.

"I had the fire rune and it didn't drain at all!"

"I don't know..."

"Trust me!" Elliot said aloud.

Lucas looked at her. She didn't seem to be lying. "Okay... Let's go."

And so Elliot used the fire rune's magic. It seemed to make Elliot's magic do something. Suddenly, her magic acted as a chain to the truck. They were pulled to the truck itself. Both Lucas and Cindy were holding onto Elliot, as she was being pulled to the truck.

It seemed Eric was driving straight to the mountain roads. "Why did Eric abandon us behind? It seems he was irritated." Lucas thought.

"I don't know... Could it be because of Elliot?" Cindy asked.

"Why would you think that?" Elliot's asked.

"I don't know..." Cindy replied depressed. "I just... Nevermind..." Lucas and Elliot looked at her. They thought they should let her be. So they did.

The truck traveled all the way to the top of the snowy mountain, Kronos Mountain. The rune was there. It was on a stone pedestal, glowing with it's former power, revealing it's potential. Eric exited the truck and approached the last rune. But the three gathered in front of the mighty rune, protecting it from Eric's grasp.

"Move along Eric!" Lucas commanded. "You don't have anything to risk."

"I have a life to risk! To spare! I asked you to keep my daughter from all this trouble, because she could die... You said yes... BUT IT WAS A LIE!!!"

"It was for good! Elliot is the only person who can vanish this thing! You think I don't want her to live!? She's in my life now! I really like her! But do you!?"

"Shut up... Shut up... SHUT UP!!! This ends. Right here, right now!" Eric pulled his sniper and pointed it at Cindy. "Give me the runes, or she dies! ONE!"

"No, we can't do that!"

"TWO!"

Elliot ran straight to Cindy and got in front of her. Eric pulled the trigger, without saying three. But the bullet never touched them.

"AAAHHH!!!!!!!!!!" The bullet was reflected... And it sniped through Eric's heart...

The area was silent. The three watched as Eric's cold body dropped on the snow. Elliot was crying.

"Oh my god... E-elliot, I-i... I-i'm so sorry... I want to help, but..." Lucas couldn't talk anymore. He didn't think he should've spoke anymore.

"It's okay... You didn't do anything... It was my fault... I know why he did it. He wanted to protect me... He wanted us to be together again, but... I ended up not trusting him... I did this..." Elliot broke into more tears.

"If he left you, then you did nothing. He brought this on himself. Maybe he just wasn't... a good dad. I've had it before." Lucas said.

"I have this feeling he would've changed though. It would be different..."

"It would be different. And he would have enjoyed it."

"Thanks Lucas..." Elliot's text said.

"Guys. problem." Cindy said.

The three took the rune and Cindy showed them. At Ares Village, a giant red vortex was swirling above. The village was screaming.

It has begun...