Born To Die Part Two - The Charm Of A Conflict

Born To Die

A tumultuous roar of sound captures the theatre like an inferno of terror. Kristoffer feels too nervous to watch, clamping his eyelids together like two magnets.

He's making a plan. He's going to pretend to injure some people who are magic and get away with it. Then, he will catch Strangelove off guard and tell her to surrender. Or he could kill her. But ruthlessness is not part of him. He feels a sharp tug on his shoulder. Niall's pale blue eyes were now shallow with no charismatic glint. His eyebrows are angled in fury.

'Come on Piercebridge? What are you doing?' He shrieks, fighting the urge to raise his hand to hit him.

'I'm sorry, I'll-'

'If you're getting cold feet, warm up.'

And with that, Niall leaves into the huge room. All Kristoffer can hear are the echoing yells, footsteps, screams, gunshots, and terror. His body acts on impulse, following after Niall. He stands in the chaos, eyes roving around quickly to find somebody to pretend to hurt.

No one meets his eyes.

He knows what he has to do.

He takes shots, taking down multiple people within minutes. He kicks, punches, throws, blocks, and does anything to keep himself alive for the first few fateful minutes. Within ten minutes, the floor is covered in bodies. He locks eyes with Alexis. Her cheeks are burning with rage and resentment, and she takes a fierce lunge at him, knocking him to the floor.

'You idiot! Why'd you bring them here?' She screams, tears falling from her eyes. She violently shakes his shoulders, 'I don't want to die! You're an idiot! You're...'

Kristoffer holds his hands near his head, showing he has no weapons he can access. Alexis loosens her grip. Kristoffer whispers his plan in her ear, finishing with, 'I'll cover for you if you pretend to be dead.'

'Okay,' Her voice is still trembling. He takes his gun out from his belt, shooting just past her shoulder and under her arm. She clutches her side with a fake yell, falling to the floor. She kicks against the floor, mobbing herself backward and propping herself up against the stage. Just before Alexis closes her eyes, she gives Kristoffer a glance of thankfulness. He returns it, grinning back at her. He talks to every last person he can find, pretending to take them down. He's able to find twenty people who comply and do some award-winning acting. He hides in the backstage area, continuing to formulate what to do.

1 minute ticks by

Nothing.

2 minutes tick by

Nothing.

3 minutes

Nothing.

4

Nothing.

5

6

7

8

Eight and a half minutes have passed when he hears a strangled yell from the theatre. He listens. Two familiar voices echo around his head.

'I'll ask again, where is Piercebridge?'

'I don't know! I don't...'

'Well, where could he be?'

'I... don't... Get off me!'

'I can burn those pretty little wings again if you want.'

'No! NO! NO! STOP! STOP STOP! St...'

Ashton's in danger and the only person who can help is Kristoffer. He can do nothing and let him die. Be a coward. Do what he was programmed to do. Or act for love.