The Broken Ones | REYLO [Complete]

12. Blood Hands

--KYLO REN--

I awaken to the sound of alarms blaring. The Force is buzzing all around me, igniting every nerve in my body, screaming in danger.

My feet carry me to the door of my cell. "Hey! What's going on?" I yell for the guards, but they have already left their post. "HEY!" I scream, but no one in the crowd rushing past my cell responds.

Suddenly a deafening blast knocks me against the wall. My head cracks against the stone and I feel blood immediately begin to trickle down my face. The lights flicker a few times before going out, leaving my cell bathed in the flashing red emergency lights. Aftershocks rock the ground beneath my feet. Dust covers every inch of the space around me, and rains down from the cracked ceiling.

"BEN!"

Am I dreaming? The voice is coming from inside my head, but I feel her presence near me.

A second blast drives me to my knees, the impact so jarring my ears are ringing. I look up and there she is: covered in dust, glowing in the red light, looking like a fallen angel out for blood. Gone is the orphan scavenger; in her place, a powerful, merciless warrior.

Loud rumbling from behind me shakes me out of my daze. I turn, and immediately jump out of the way as a corner of the roof comes crashing down. The sudden onslaught of sunlight blinds me, and I blink several times before I see it.

The Dreadnought.

"They lied to me," I growl, clenching my fists so hard the scabs on my battered knuckles bust open. "Fucking TRAITORS!" My rage explodes in a powerful blast that tears the cell doors clean from the wall. Rey takes a step back, but there is no fear in her eyes.

"Come on, we have to get out of here." She turns to leave, and doesn't look back. Somehow she knows I'll follow her.

"This doesn't change anything," I mutter as I follow her into the crumbling hallway. "I'm not coming back. You can't fix me."

She rolls her eyes. "I never believed there was any good left in you. You're past the point of redemption." Her words sting a bit, but I know she's right. "I'm doing this for your mom and uncle. And for Han."

We navigate our way through the rubble and fleeing Resistance fighters. Suddenly another blast rocks the base and the stone ceiling caves in, directly above Rey's head. Without a thought I reach out and pull her against my chest, out of harm's way. I see her outstretched hand just before the debris is thrown against the wall, where it shatters into a million pieces and falls to the ground.

"I don't need your help," she snaps at me, jumping out of reach. "I can save myself."

Even in the dim emergency lights, I see the fire of hatred burning in her eyes. It makes me wonder if maybe Snoke was right. Maybe she will turn willingly.

Several minutes later we find ourselves in the main hangar, where the transport shuttles are being loaded with people and necessary equipment. I feel a ripple in the Force that pulls my gaze across the hangar. My mother is there, watching me with a combination of uncertainty, hope, and guilt. There is no pity or anger.

"Come on!" Rey snaps me out of my daze and I follow her through the maze of transports and fleeing peasants. Calling them warriors, or any variation of the word, is a stretch. More like a group of enraged ants trying to take up arms against a very large boot.

As soon as we approach the main Resistance cruiser, I dig my heels in and refuse to move. "I'm not going with them. What did you think was going to happen? I'd change sides and join your doomed group of hopeless romantics?"