I couldn't let him go on like this... everything had been my fault, I knew that. But now I had to set them right. But the body count was getting too high. At first it had been crooks and criminals, people that no one would particularly miss - then it rose from there.
I'd let him go wild, this was my responsibility.
"Drew..." he croaked, taking a feeble step towards me.
I didn't hesitate and lifted my gun, catching him off guard and firing it so the bullet pierced his shoulder. He let out a wail in pain and stumbled back, falling over the corpse that was littered by his feet. It took a moment for me to gather what I'd just done, and by the time I'd collected my thoughts, he was running down the street and out of sight.
I low growl escaped my lips and I charged after him, gripping my gun tighter in my hand. He was fast - but I had practice chasing after vampires, and he knew this well. I didn't even get why he was running in the first place.
"WHY ME?! WHY NOT GO AFTER THE ONE WHO DID THIS?!" his voice collided with me, skidding me to a stop as I looked around to see where it was coming from. I'd stopped at a crossroads, so I had the possibilities of five roads and the roofs on top of that. There was no one in sight, but I couldn't let that stop me - he was definitely here, somewhere.
"Please, you're just making this harder for yourself..."
"DON'T BE RIDICULOUS!" the voice snarled and suddenly I went flying to the side, crashing into a cart of fruit.
I coughed and clutched my side, feeling a searing pain go through it, "I-I can help you!" I looked up to see the figure standing just in front of me, the moon highlighting every one of his features perfectly... but it also reminded me how dangerous he was at this point and I couldn't let myself be distracted by that fact.
"Yeah right." he finally said before taking off down the street.
I got up and began the chase; the others would be here soon and they could help me stop him. Several twists and turns later we came to an opening in the town, a large square that was near enough deserted except from me, him...and one other. My man was crouched over the second, his body hunched and shaking slightly as he held the other's body close to his.
This was finally it.
"I told you to stop running," I said, walking towards him but stopping within enough distance that I could see his face properly should he turn. "The others will be here soon, there's no way you can get out of this in the state you are in.
He discarded the body at his feet and stood up, slowly turning towards me with a glint in his eye, "They won't do anything, just like you won't. Because you can't bring yourself to do it. We were very good friends once, don't you remember that? Remember all the memories we once had together?" After every couple of words he took a step towards me, closing the distance between us.
No Drew, don't forget who this is, my inner voice cautioned me, and I nodded internally. This wasn't the one I knew anymore. Just some heartless killer that has forgotten everyone. Including you.
My voice banged off all the walls, causing the figure in front of me to freeze to a halt, "Please, just stop running."
"And what? Go back to the life that I once had?" he let out a dark chuckle, "You and I both know that that can never happen again. Not after what I did there and here," he gestured to the body that lay at his feet.
"We can find something that'll make things work - we can find some way of making you better and living with the condition you're in!"
He laughed, full blown which caused me to take a step back in almost fright, "You really think that I'll believe that Drew? I know exactly what you do to those like me, bearing in mind I used to work with you - or have you forgotten that already?" I said nothing and stood looking at him, never breaking my gaze, "Thought so. There's no way in hell that I'm coming back with you."
"Then I'm sorry." I lifted my gun and fired two shots in his direction, the first one catching his arm but the second missing completely as he ran forward and threw me across the square.
"Guess I'm sorry too then," he snarled as I stood up and tried my best to brush off the dirt that was sticking to my clothes. As I lifted my gun to fire once again, I whimpered and cradled my arm to my chest. Moving it like that again didn't seem to be an option. I looked back up at him and saw his features soften, but he didn't make any attempt to come over and help, or at least see if it was damaged too much.
I didn't move. He didn't move. We just stood there watching each other, eyes locked in each others trying to see who would break first.
Shouting pulled us away from our staring match. They'd finally caught up with us.
They'd hurt him too much though... and I couldn't let that happen. He was still looking towards the direction that the voices had just come from so I took my chance, raising my gun and firing, then dashing forward.
The bullet pierced through his shoulder, causing him to scream and by the time he realised what I was doing, the stake was already being slammed into his chest.
His mouth opened and closed as he tried to make an attempt to speak, his hands grasping feebly at my arms and back as he tried to hold on to what little bit of life he had left in him. Tears cascaded down my face as choked sobs erupted from my mouth. His legs started to give out beneath him and I carefully walked us both to the ground, cradling him against my chest.
"Drew!" Four figures came running towards me, guns in hand and ready for the fight that was no longer going to happen.
"...You did it..." my red haired friend whispered, but he didn't move. They were at a close enough distance to realise exactly what I'd done and that I didn't want anyone to be near me.
I looked away and back to the man in my arms, his face contorted with pain but even at that he still somehow managed to bring his arm up and placed it on my cheek. "I-I...l-love y-you... And I-I'm s-so s-sor-ry..." he choked before his arm dropped to his side and his head rolled back, his goggles almost slipping off his sandy hair.
"I love you too Cyrus..."
