We stop running when we reach a dead end. A wall appears literally out of nowhere and Jeff nearly runs into it. Vinny looks at the brick wall with as much confusion as I feel. He reaches up and touches it, no doubt ensuring that it's real.
"Running away?" asks Martyr.
"Let us go!" Vinny yells. "You got what you wanted, you've tortured us long enough. Let. Us. Go."
"You really think it's that simple?" She laughs. Two Dogs stand beside her. "Come back to us, Jeff. You don't belong here with them. Not anymore or ever again."
"Fuck off, bitch," he says.
"Habit won't be able to save you, you're already dead."
Jeff suddenly cries out, and the two of us turn to him. Fear and pain dance in his brown eyes, and he blinks tears. I can't move. But Vinny runs over and holds onto Jeff like he's a lifeboat.
"Jeff? Jeff, what's going on?"
"I don't want to die ..." he pants. "I can't ... no, please."
"You made your choice, Jeff," Martyr says. "And I've made mine."
Jeff falls to his knees. Anger like I've never felt before surges through me, and I punch Martyr across the face, splitting open her lip. She staggers back and the two Dogs advance on me. I tuck my chin in and punch out, knocking one of them against the wall. The other grabs my arm and twists - bending it behind my back and pressing a knife to my throat.
"Calm down, mutt," Martyr says. She turns to Jeff and Vinny. "Oh how much I love seeing you squirm."
Blood replaces Jeff's tears, and his nose and ears start bleeding too. He's gasping for air, holding onto his friend. Vinny starts to cry too and I let the tears fall.
"I think you've had your fun."
Firebrand nails into Martyr, throwing her to the floor hard. Noah and some other random girl rushes over to Martyr's side.
"Took you ... long enough ..." Jeff says, coughing.
"Hey, I just saved your dead ass, buddy" Firebrand retorts.
"Y/n! Y/n!?"
Habit runs to me, wrapping me in a tight hug. I let it all go and start crying against him, not wanting to ever let go of him.
"Habit ..." I whisper.
"Shh, I know. It's okay, y/n," he whispers.
"Ah!"
We turn around as Martyr stands up and walks over to us. She smiles darkly and Habit lets go of me long enough to draw a blade.
"Stand down," he whispers. "I'm not going to ask twice."
"You think you are going to win? Look at your pathetic little friends. They're dying. Come on, Habit. Give it up, you can't win."
"Let them go, Martyr," Firebrand says. "You're outnumbered and outgunned. Let all of them go."
"Alright."
She nods to the Dogs, who turn and run off. Then she turns to face us.
"You can have her back. We don't need her right now," she says.
Then she collapses, getting caught by the girl and Noah. Jeff screams and I watch as his body begins to disintegrate into nothing. He clutches Vinny, and sobs.
"I don't want to go. I don't want to die," he says pleadingly. "Please ..."
And then, just like that, he's gone like he was never there, save for a pool of blood on the floor.
