Apocalypse [Pentatonix AU | Kavi / Scomiche]

Chapter 57 - Expeditious

Taking both of Scott's outstretched hands, Mitch allowed Scott to pull him back to his aching feet. The sun was beginning its descent, and there was no more time to rest. They had made it to Atlanta, they were so close. There was absolutely no point in giving up now.

Mitch noticed his left boot was untied, so while Scott went back to the highway to scope out where exactly they were, Mitch leaned over, twisting the ratty laces into a knot.

He stood back upright, a dull ache pounding in his skull. He blinked through the lightheadedness, focusing intently on Scott while the blood rushed back to his brain. Scott was squinting into the burning sun, looking at the horizon that was a lifetime away.

Just as Mitch began to smile simply at the sight of his love, he felt a sharp agonizing pain in his neck that instantly shot down the length of his spine. He let out a shout, spinning on his heel and shooting the walker whose teeth were inches deep in his throat.

The walker fell to the ground, but as it did it took a chunk of Mitch's flesh with it. The excruciating pain grew even worse as endless blood began to stream from the torn artery.

Scott was sprinting over, screaming Mitch's name in a state of complete panic. By the time he reached him Mitch had collapsed to the ground, his senses overcome by shock. Mindlessly he held a palm against his throbbing neck, trying to stop the bleeding to no avail.

Scott had pulled the sweatshirt from off his back immediately, pressing the damp filthy fabric against the open wound. He was whispering a string of endless curses, his eyes almost as wide as Mitch's in absolute horror and disbelief.

"Shit, shit, damnit, fuck, shit, okay- Mitch, stay with me- you need to- okay, shit, fuck- okay Mitch I need you to- fuck- I need you to, um, hold this. Apply pressure."

Mitch did as he was told, grabbing the sweatshirt from Scott and applying pressure despite the blinding pain it caused. He blinked rapidly, fighting against everything in him to stay conscious. Through blurred vision he saw Scott grab his backpack and pull out a small object.

The antidote.

Mitch took deep breaths, attempting to regain enough strength to stop Scott. By the time he'd recovered his ability to speak Scott had already filled the syringe halfway.

"Stop, stop!" Mitch gasped, halting Scott. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"I'm saving your life," Scott replied quickly.

The weight of death began pressing against Mitch's chest. "Like- hell- you- are."

Scott set the half filled syringe in his lap in frustration, instead taking Mitch's cheeks in his palms. "Yes, I am. Mitch, please, listen to me. Not saving Kirstie, that was the biggest mistake I've ever made, and I'll regret it for the rest of my life. I thought it was for the greater good, I chose saving the world over saving her, but Mitch, I realized something after Kevin and Avi died; there's no world left to save. I see that now, and I'm not making the same mistake again. I'm saving you, Mitch. You're the only one who matters anymore. I'm saving you."

Scott was blinded by love, and Mitch knew that. But there was no point in trying to explain that to him, no point in trying to convince him. There was only one thing he could do.

"Okay," he said. "But can I see it first?"

"What?"

"The antidote." Mitch nodded his head toward the half-empty glass bottle. It was becoming harder and harder not to slip away into the darkness that seemed to be expanding endlessly around him. "Please, can I see it?"

Reluctantly Scott handed him the container. And the second the cool glass touched Mitch's palm, before Scott could react, Mitch turned and used the last of his strength to throw the bottle toward the large sign behind him, watched as the glass shattered and the solution seeped into the ground, lost forever.

Scott was wide eyed with his mouth agape, and Mitch finally allowed himself to fall backwards, laying down and staring up at the bright sky above him.

"Why?" Scott finally sputtered. "Why would you do that!?"

Mitch barely lifted his head before replying, "You still have some in the syringe. It's not enough to stop me from dying, but it's enough to replicate it. We came this far, Scott. I'm not letting you waste that shit on me."

Now powerless, Scott began comforting Mitch, still hopelessly attempting to stop the bleeding. He started sobbing now, large wells of tears that fell from his shocked eyes and onto Mitch's cheeks. Mitch knew he didn't have much time left at all. Minutes if that.

"No, no, no," Scott was pleading. "I can't live without you. I need you to keep going. Without you I'm alone. I have no one. I can't. I can't live like that. You can't leave me, Mitch. I love you so much. Please."

Using strength he barely had Mitch lifted his hand, running his thumb across Scott's jawline.

"You think there's no world left to save, but there is." Mitch smiled despite the excruciating pain. "Because you are my world, Scott Hoying. Save yourself."

Scott was shaking his head, deprived of anything left to say. "I love you."

"I love you," Mitch repeated, resting his head back. He thought about his family.

"I love you."

"I love you." He thought about his old group, about Travis.

"I love you."

"I love you." He thought about Kirstie, about Avi, about Kevin.

"I love you."

"I love you." He let his eyes fall on Scott's face. He smiled once more.

"I love you."

But this time Mitch could no longer repeat the phrase. Instead he felt his head fall, felt his eyes roll backward, felt the last of his strength slip away.

Mitch finally allowed the darkness to take him.