Behind the Mask [One Shot]

Taking off my mask

          "Griffith," she screamed as the bullet tore through flesh. The bullet penetrated in her leg and until it shattered bone in. She collapsed. Griffith caught her against his chest and held her. Griffith stood up wrapping his arm around her back and he threw her arm over his shoulder.

           "Circe, your gonna have to stay with me." He whispered knowing that another attack would be fatal. Griffith surveyed the parking garage for a place to take care of Circe's wound. He had his pistol leading them. He was ready to kill if needed. The echo of angry footsteps pounded against the floor and echoed back.Griffith cursed. Griffith ducked in between two vans. He sat Circe's body up against the wheel of one of the vans.

Griffith got straight to work."I'm fine," Circed tried smiling. She cringed as Griffith pressed down just above her wound. Angry yells grew louder. Griffith watched in his peripherals. Time was running short. But Griffith still clung onto the almost nonexist hope that he could do the impossible.

        Griffith kneeled down, letting the barrier block him. He unhooked his belt and tied it to the top of Circe's thigh and looped it tight. Compression that should be enough for now. Griffith grabbed his tracker and typed furiously before crushing it in his palm. The arguing of a foreign language could be heard."Circe, back up will be here soon. I'll hold them off." Griffith stood facing the barricade between cars.

           " I'm going with you there's no way you can take those terrorists yourself!" Circe scolded.

            Griffith looked at his sister's worried eyes, "Serva me, servabo te." He recited perfectly. Save me and I will save you was the motto for all agents. It represented that your life was never your. You did was best for your partner. To live by this was the way a pair of spies became legendary. Griffith looked down at his watch, Circe followed suit. 23:57 in three minutes there was supposed to be attack on the New Year's festival below and it was their job to stop it.

             Griffin stood up and gave Circe a salute. Like when they were younger and they played army. The urge to scream was overwhelming, she was completely useless. She knew it meant that he had to, but a small part of Circe wanted Griffith not to go. She was disgusted at her selfish behavior. Griffith's cocked his pistol and pointed it. He whispered, "By the time you count to ten everything will be okay." What a childish thing to say she thought.

"1" he started. Griffith jumped over the barricade. Loud shouts surrounded them.

"2" she returned. The pain in her thigh gone. She willed herself to get up but couldn't move a muscle.

"3" Everything was silent.

          "4" The first shot was fired from his northwest. It was a direct shot into Griffith right shoulder. He fired back and his hand flew to his shoulder. He surveyed the parking lot further. It seemed empty. But he now started to see his target in the shadows, they surrounded him.

           "5" Everything was in slow motion. Bullets came through the air from all directions. It was a full metal storm. All at him. He did not have time to react so he just stared at what was to be his death. It seemed as if a faint smile graced his features.

             "6" It hit all at once. Everything flashed before his eyes, he turned back towards Circe but, A pain so intense so agonizing took over. The last few seconds of his life felt like hours. He was gone. His body had flew back to where Circe was hiding. His blood splattered coating Circe's cheek. She needed to move but her body was stuck everything was frozen. She couldn't tear her eyes away from his corpse. Although his corpse was no longer in tact and covered in his own blood they hadn't succeeded. He was still Griffith Kindred, he wasn't stripped of who he was. He is a hero. Circe felt a scream build up inside her, she wanted to curse them for failing. Curse them most importantly for taking her brother. But her mouth remained clamped shut. Circe felt so many emotions envelop her that she was going to burst any moment now. Her vision started to blur, everything had now faded to black.