Journey of the Heart ~ Clownzy

Wolves in Sheeps' Clothing (21)

Listen to 'Wolf in sheep's clothing' by 'Set It Off' just because it practically has the same name as the chapter and I love that song >:D

~ Branzy ~

"Branzy this isn't what it seems like," Lefu's words tumbled quickly out of her mouth, each syllable fighting to be heard over the others.

"Lefu Sidero don't you fucking lie, this is exactly what it seems like!" he spoke slowly, enunciating each word with venom and spite, "I was beginning to trust you as well but I guess you managed to prove me wrong."

If Branzy had previously been choking under layers of sand, he was now stuck within quicksand. At a first glance you may say that they were the same thing but they weren't. This time as he struggled for air, he was sinking and sinking and sinking, faster and faster and faster to his inevitable last breath. The thicker consistency, made it harder for him to climb out of this pit of despair. He would suffocate to death before he could even scream.

Lefu shifted uncomfortably, "Branzy no thats-"

"How dare you! How dare you make up some bullshit excuse about having some sort of fucking connection to Clown!" Branzy found himself lunging at Lefu with his sword choked within his grasp, "I'm going to kill you."

Grief. The salty tears flooding down his face felt as wet as the blood on his red, red hands, the hot, wet, sticky blood drenching his hands. He wasn't here chasing after Lefu, he was there, he was always there, holding his dying Clown Pierce within his arms. He desperately wanted to cradle him close, stroke his cheek, whisper in his ear that everything would be alright.

But it wasn't alright, the blood on his hands would never be alright. But this time it wasn't the blood of Clown or the blood of Kevin, this time it was Lefu's blood.

"Branzy just stop and let me explain..."

Branzy ignored her. People say that when you are faced with the prospect of death your body begins to perform extraordinary feats. This must be true because he found himself withstanding the ebb and flow of the battle like never before. Branzy grit his teeth and bit the inside of his cheek until it was bleeding raw. Clown's lessons never left the back of his mind, he channeled all of his internal anger and sorrow at the ravenette. Whenever he looked at her, nothing but hot and red hatred bubbled out. He snarled as he fended off Kevin's attacks from behind and relentlessly persued Lefu. That coward simply fled, not even parrying his attacks, not even attempting to kill him in the slightest.

"FIGHT BACK TRAITOR!" his words started to trail off into the weak sob of a broken man, "Fight back."

Cruel, hardened, derisive laughter cut a hole through the tense air, like a blade stabbing someone in the heart. Kevin's glee faded in and out of existence as it merged with the ever present static inside of Branzy's head.

Denial. His mind just couldn't comprehend the magnitude of this situation. He refused to believe that the red blood on his soaked hands was Clown's. The blood would be Lefu's and Kevin's. He would make sure of that.

Branzy shunned any remote thoughts telling him to stop and think. His head had spun a million different lies. Surely Kevin had tampered with his communicator and hadn't actually spawn trapped Clown. Branzy would leave the end, jump into his arms, confess his love to him and never let him go. That must be the explanation. Or maybe, he was in fact dreaming, maybe he should jump off the edge of the island to wake himself up.

Clown Pierce wasn't dead.

Lefu kept running away but her legs surely weren't faster than the thudding heart within Branzy's chest, swelling with emotions that shouldn't be humanly possible. Wiping off the blood from his hands, he lurched forward, ignoring the spasming of his muscles; they were begging for mercy, pleading for rest, screaming at him to stop and think. Yet his hatred drove him towards the raven haired woman. Branzy knew these were all excuses, no matter how hard he tried to justify them.

Anger. Branzy lashed out with all his fury and rage at Lefu. He managed to knock her to the floor, placing his foot on the torso of her body and kneeling against her to restrain her from fleeing again. He could only see red, the red in his vision, the red on his hands, the red sheen of exhaustion on Lefu's face.

He stared at the squirming figure beneath him and yet he wasn't staring at the ravenette, he was staring at a dying man, he was staring at those chocolate brown, scarlett flecked eyes that were slowly losing life.

Clown?

Branzy wanted to reach out, call for him, cry into his shoulder, beg him to make everything better, beg him to make the red go away. Blood pooled all around them, he was bathed in blood, the red, red blood. He was drowning, no matter how hard he tried to scream, he wouldn't be able to bring Clown back. He turned to deflect an incoming blow from Kevin and sent the hooded man reeling backwards.

This wasn't the man who he had loved and lost. No, this was the girl who had betrayed them all. "When are you going to admit that you're a liar Lefu?"

Bargaining. What if he had managed to convince Clown to forget about whoever had shot at him? What if he and Vitalasy had never fought, what then? He found himself internally wishing that it had been him instead, or better yet Lefu. What if it had been Lefu, that back-stabber, would he and Clown be living their happy ever after?

"Branzy I- no..."

Branzy straightened and lifted one arm over his head, to sweep it down into a cutting arc. Straight through Lefu.

"I wouldn't do that Branzy," Kevin's mouth twitched into something that could only be described as a smirk, "After all, she isn't lying."

Branzy lowered his arm, still strangling the pommel of his sword within his grasp. He couldn't leave himself defenseless, he wouldn't, not with them. "What do you mean Kevin," he spat out each word.

Kevin twirled an arrow out of boredom. The arrow was the same build as the one that had started this whole mess, the one that has been shot at Clown when he was dueling Vitalasy. This was Kevin's fault, all of it. Or was this Lefu's fault?

"You and me, we're the same you know." He drawled his words, dragged out each and every syllable as he continued to disinterestedly fiddle with the arrow.

Depression. The onslaught of sorrow that drowned him in that red, red blood. That arrow only brung back, painful memories, Kevin attacking him in an alleyway and Clown coming to rescue him. Clown. A numbness festered inside of him at the thought of the jester; an aching that longed for Clown but would now never be fulfilled.

And how was Kevin comparing himself to Branzy? After all, Branzy had never been responsible for someone's death. Well, that would be until he murdered the two people in front of him without any ounce of remorse. "Are you calling me a cold blooded murderer?" Branzy cried, his eyes had begun to become puffy and his cheeks felt wet, too wet, almost like that red, red blood.

Branzy backed away from the scene; backed away from Lefu, the traitor; backed away from the hooded man who had catalysted this insanity. He had to get away from them.

Acceptance. Branzy knew Clown Pierce would never come back, but that acknowledgement didn't cease the violent heartache plaguing his chest. Branzy would exact his revenge, Branzy would avenge Clown, no matter the cost.

"Oh where to start..." Kevin said without contempt, "You should start Lefu, you're smart enough to have figured it out by now."

Branzy skeptically observed the ravenette as she gulped and started to thumble over her words. Pitiful.

"So about the thing about me feeling some strange connection to Clown..." she sucked in a breath, mentally preparing herself for whatever was coming. Branzy stared into her hazel and chestnut eyes, hoping to burn a hole through her skull in the process.

"...I think it's because I'm Clown Pierce."

Word Count: 1410

Love you all <3