Ven: Part 2

Ch. 23 A good man has consequences

*Tasma*

We all watch in horror as Ven stands defenseless clutching the wound at his shoulder where his arm had been moments before.

Blood pumps between his fingers, his skin has gone pale.

The founder moves, purple hair whipping in the wind from his movement, his fist connects with Ven. Then again, and again, and again. He swings a hook at Ven's right side. Vens body moves to block with an arm that's no longer there.

The punch hits him full in the jaw sending him reeling.

"We need to do something," Vick says from beside me.

"Yeah no shit," I grunt back.

I take off, feet pounding cobbles towards Ven.

"Everyone save Ven!" I cry.

A weak cry takes up behind me.

I falter.

Couldn't have been more than 20 people joining by the sound of it.

Will it be enough?

It's going to have to be!

I charge on.

Ven has fallen to ground.

Behind them both a wall of grey energy is surging from the horizon, everything is being consumed by it.

The founder stops suddenly and stares at the rapidly approaching wall.

He turns and runs away frantically.

The grey energy is swallowing houses and the whole street.

It's close to Ven.

I sprint madly towards Ven.

The wall swallows him.

I don't stop.

Neither does the wall.

It's almost on....

**Elsewhere**

The screen is endlessly empty before us save for two infinitesimally small specks floating in all that nothing.

The others are grumbling about overtime and having to start again.

I zoom in on the specks.

A young man with grey hair and grey eyes floats in the emptiness, a young girl with pale skin and black hair clings desperately to him.

"Damn it all," I mutter.

"Do we have to go down there?" Another whines.

"Don't worry, I'll sort it," I rub my face.

**Tasma**

I stumble to a stop.

The wall of grey is gone.

Ven is laying on the floor in front of me, Mel staring around wildly beside him.

A small group of people stream past me, converging on Mel, driving her away from Ven.

Jack is beside me, his hand rough on my arm as he drags me forward with him.

"Get it together! I need you to watch my back!" He barks as we near Ven.

I kneel at his head, my hands reflexively cupping his face.

It's growing cold and paler in my hands.

Ven's words echo in my mind.

Now's not the time.

I'll think about it later.

"Hurry up!" I snap, needing to do something.