Sword Crossed Lovers

Him... He's never been alright

Mercutio is the first to make it out onto the busy streets of Verona.  With Romeo in his arms, weeping, he relies heavily on Benvolio to aid him.  "Move!" he orders the two of them, pushing Romeo further and further away from the cathedral.  The bells above him keep on ringing and alert the people of the city to get inside.  He can already feel the power of his name flowing within his veins and calls out to those still on the streets to take shelter in doors.

Obeying the Escalus before them, the townsfolk heed Mercutio's orders.  They sense the fear in his voice and understand what cannot be felt.  A brawl like no other is rising in their fair streets between the hate between two god-like Houses.

Suddenly, an arrow flies from a high building.  The tip buries itself into Mercutio's thigh and stuns him.  The pain ebbing from his leg causes him to fall.  His body hits the ground and with a gasp, he rolls onto his back to save the front of his leg.
"Mercutio!" cries Romeo, rushing to his friend's side.  Benvolio kneels beside the wounded Escalus and curses.
"Eh, tis nothing, tis nothing," replies Mercutio, gasping in pain.
"We have to remove it," orders Benvolio, grasping the shaft of the arrow.

At the touch of the arrow, Mercutio cries out in pain.  Benvolio immediately releases the weapon lodged in his friend and looks worryingly at Romeo.  Now, the Montague has two things on his mind: Mercutio and Balthazar.  Balthazar had spoken to him about a retaliation.  Could this be it?  Could the Montagues be warring with the Capulets at this very hour? Could this arrow have flown rouge and struck Mercutio on accident?

As shockingly as the first arrow flew, more begin to rain down from the sky.  Romeo grasps a stray lunch carton which had flown off from an abandoned carriage and uses it to take cover.  He holds it over Mercutio and Benvolio, leaving only his arms unprotected.  Swiftly, the arrows begin to rain down on the three remaining open in the street.

Just as they arrived, they ceased for a moment.  Benvolio peeks his head around the barrier Romeo had erected and hollers, "This close to holy ground?  How dare you!  Show yourselves!"
"Benvolio, enough!" snaps Mercutio, grasping his shoulder and dragging him back under cover.  Romeo nods and suddenly cries out.  He looks at his right shoulder and sees a cut across his skin.  An arrow had grazed him.  He eyes Mercutio worryingly.  No longer was it his own sake he cared for, but the sake of his new wife.

Almost reading his mind, Mercutio replies honestly, "She will be safe.  Remember, she now has more than one guardian angel watching over her.  I am sure he will find her and make sure she is safe."
"Him...  that is who I fear for her to be with.  Something about that man irks me, Mercutio.  Something about him is not right."
"He's never been right," Mercutio answers back swiftly.