Smooth Operator.

15. Operation

CHAPTER FIFTEEN
OPERATION

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BLOOD SPRAYED THE WALLS. Everybody looked down at their own bodies, hands pressing against appendages to check if they had been the one to get shot. A gurgle sounded from below, and everyone's eyes trailed down to the floor.

Immediately, Estela was on her knees, accompanying Tangerine's bleeding self on the floor, where he'd pushed himself up against a Momomon-designed wall.

Two of his hands had found his neck, pressing hard against the wound, although scarlet blood still found a way to drip through the cracks in his fingers, squirt out the side of his hand, dressing the pale wall in more dark blood.

Not worrying about getting her hands or clothes any more dirty, Estela clamped her own hands down on top of his.

"Stay with me," she muttered, eyebrows furrowing, face growing hot.

In front of her, bleeding away, Tangerine looked past her and over at Ladybug, who stood and stared on, unknowing what to do.

"Diesel!" He pushed out, blood lining his lips.

But Ladybug's expressions only grew puzzled, and he cocked his head to the side in confusion.

Tangerine pulled a hand out from beneath Estela's, where she applied more pressure, and he pointed in the girl's direction. "Fucking bellend! Diesel!"

He coughed, blood drizzling down his chin, and replaced his hand over Estela's, pressing their hands further against his neck.

"Are you fucking stupid!?" Estela grunted, turning her head around to glare at Ladybug through dark eyes. "She's the fucking Diesel!"

Ladybug glanced over at the girl in pink, whose expression dropped at the thought of her disguise being seen through once again. But he only waved a hand dismissively. "Her? Now you're pulling at straws, here," he replied with a small shake of his head. "This kid's been through a lot. How would you feel if someone accused you of something you didn't do?"

"I wouldn't fucking accuse her if I didn't think she did it!"

The man sighed and shook his head, digging his hands into his pockets and leaning casually against a Momomon seat. "Think about it... that Thomas the Tank Engine stuff is quite a stretch, isn't it?"

He looked over at the little girl and began walking, holding a hand out to guide her. "We're leaving now," he said calmly to Estela. "You go deal with that Diesel dude, or whatever."

And Estela watched them move down the aisle, waiting for the door to close before turning back to Tangerine.

"You're gonna be okay," Estela forced out, trying to push down the worry in her chest. She'd already lost Lemon, and if she were to lose his brother, too, before the end of the line, she was beginning to consider just joining them. "Just stay with me, you're fine."

Below her, Tangerine struggled to contain the blood pouring from his recent wound, and he writhed from beneath her, groaning.

"Tangerine," she began strongly, as if he could reply, "I need you to stay with me, just hold on, I'll be right back." She carefully removed her hands from his neck, her own now painted a ruby ichor, and stood up. "Don't go anywhere."