Broken Wings

~10~

Phoenix stared up at the ceiling, unable to find comfort in his small bed in the warehouse. He was restless, and each small difference in the mattress made itself noticeable. He tried to sleep, but even the slightest movement or change of light made him jump, wing halfway to his sword.

He decided to think, evaluating each of his friends inside his head, trying to solve this mystery in his spare time. He started with MCA.

Other than me, MCA has the most evidence against him. He was alone when Mini died, and was the last person seen with Keke before she died. I also found his antennae on the roof where she fell.

Big-B has to be innocent, unless he and Star are working together. Star also would have to have been the one to kill, unless they managed to pull off one crazy stunt with Big-B. Star's arrow was the only one missing, so it was probably the one that killed Jake.

Though Star having killed anyone seemed very unlikely, he couldn't throw it out as nothing.

Then there's Haze, who had been alone during Mini's death, and out during Keke's. He doesn't really have anything other than that, but...

Phoenix faintly remembered, waking up to a rustling beside him. He had thought at the time it was Jake, but for all he knew it could have been Haze, preparing to kil-

The memory of Jake's death made him Cringe, and he shook his head. Haze had been on the other side of him, so it had to have been Jake. Wait, was it? He couldn't remember clearly.

He sighed, turning over once more.

I bet when Star left, she pushed Keke off and-

He was cut off by an ear-splitting scream, so far away and faint, but he heard it.

Phoe leapt out of the bed, grabbing his sword and taking off in the direction of the center. He could hear someone screaming for help, and unsheathed the blade, prepared to help, and catch the killer once and for all. The scream had been unmistakably Star's, and her trust in her friends would make her easy to kill.

He turned the corner, skidding to a halt as he reached the field of wheat. Haze was right behind him, headed in from the other way. Phoenix stopped, dropping his sword as he approached the hole in the ground.

Star knelt on the ground in the freshly dug grave, which had been intended for Keke. She was clutching onto Big-B's hand, who was lying on his back.

The gruesome scene was filled with only sadness, and greif, as he bled out onto the ground. He was still breathing, but barely, and as he coughed, he looked up.

There was a pained expression on his face, for a tree limb protruded from his torso. Impaling  him, and pinning him to the ground like a sick game of darts. He reached out a bloodied hand towards Phoenix and Haze, before looking at Star.

The man placed his hand on her head, clutching her hand tightly in a final embrace. He tried to speak for just a moment, but as he did, his arm went limp as his eyes glazed over.

Star cried out once more, sobbing into the ground, but Phoenix had seen something very clearly. Though it had been silent, his lips had read very clearly.

"Still my friend"

~~~

Phoenix gripped his sword tightly, wading into the water. He had agreed to let Haze stay dry, and go look For MCA.

The cat had warned him that the enderman could be the killer, and so he had his sword at the ready, prepared for if he tried to sneak up on him.

Searching the houses, he found no sign of him, other than a few blankets missing from their beds. It was a long time, but then he saw it.

The tree house behind the buildings had bright red banners hanging down. As Phoenix got closer he realized that they were some of the blankets, hanging up to dry. MCA had to be here.

Quietly, Phoe started to scale the ladder, dragging himself onto the wooden platform. Sword at the ready, he stepped inside.

What he found was not what he expected.

MCA was lying on the floor, wrapped in a bunch of the blankets. He was snoring, and looked like he had rolled off the bed in his sleep.

Phoenix leaned down to shake the enderman awake. He sat up groggy, then noticed Phoenix, jumping back and screaming.

"Oh my God! Phoenix you don't have to-"

Phoenix dropped his sword, realizing that he did looka bit like a killer...

"Easy bro, I'm not here to hurt you!"

MCA sighed, pulling himself back onto his feet. He then stopped, looking Phoe dead in the eyes.

"What happened. I know there's something wrong!"

"MCA..."

Phoenix felt the weight of another friend's death pushing him down, threatening to crush him.

"Well? What happened?"

He demanded.

"Big-B... he's dead..."