Unlikely Companions

Chapter 14 Fallen Soldier

He staggered, tripped, and fell to his knees. The impact shocked him, but he couldn't waste any time. Grindelwald was upon him, glaring angrily at his hunched form over the grass of the clearing. There was a manic shine in his eyes when he pointed his wand at him. It was over, Credence realized, Grindelwald would be the last thing that he'd see before he died.

He could only hope that his friends would eventually find him – Newt, Tina, Queenie, and... Mathilda.

"Stupefy!!"

The spell rang through the empty clearing. Grindelwald took a step back, easily blocking the spell directed at him, and looked in the direction from where it came.

Credence didn't know if what he felt was relief, but a strange feeling had overcome him. It was Mathilda, tired and worn-out, wearing a brown printed dress that he'd seen before and a tan shabby cardigan. Her hair was messier, curlier, and untamed as she kept her wand directed at Grindelwald.

"I didn't know you had a girlfriend, Credence," Grindelwald said. "Who do I have the pleasure of meeting?"

She responded with a curse that shot out in a red beam from her wand and that he stopped with a flick of his hand.

"Not very fond of words, I see..."

She seemed possessed, throwing curses with different names under her breath. He blocked them all, but at least she had stalled him enough to give Credence a chance to recover.

"Get behind me, Credence," she said. "And don't move unless I tell you to."

He obeyed blindly, immediately moving to take cover behind her. She had conjured up a shield, which kept them relatively safe.

He was surprised to see how strong she was. It had taken several MACUSA wizards to stop him the first time, and she was single handedly keeping him away.

"Expelliarmus!" she yelled, shooting a scarlet beam. "Credence, I need you to listen to me."

"Yes?" he asked, nervous.

"I can't hold him for too long. I need you to run as fast as you can, away from here, when I tell you to. Okay?"

"Y-yes," he said. "And you?"

Her heavy silence was the only answer that she gave him, while she threw more silent curses at the wizard before them.

"I won't leave you alone here with him!"

"You must, Credence. He's looking for you, and if I can give you the opportunity to escape, then I'll do it. It's my fault this is happening, after all."

"But... At the expense of your life?"

"It's a risk I'll have to take."

There was no arguing against her, but he had to try for the sake of his own sanity. He started to cry, and held on to her free hand. Not after our fight, he thought, I couldn't stand it if...

"Mathilda, I can't let you do that... I –"

"No," she said. "Don't say anything. I know."

"Then why –?"

"Get ready," she said, her voice strained. "On the count of three, you'll run as fast as you can. Alright?"

"Mathilda, please..."

"One!"

"I'm sure there's something else that we can do..."

"Two!"

"I don't want to leave you..."

"Three! Go, Credence!! And don't look back."

She was a rock, but she was cracking – he could hear it and feel it in the air. With tears in his eyes, he obeyed. She moved with him for a few seconds, giving him the chance of getting far away through the trees. He heard Grindelwald scream and wail, but she held strong.

Then, she ran at him. She knocked him to the ground, but she lost her wand in the process, which left her vulnerable. He pushed her off after a few seconds, and recovered much faster than she did. He was in front of her, with his wand pointed at her heart.

"You're noble," he said. "Very gallant. It's a shame that it will be for nothing."

"Nothing?" she asked, kneeling on the ground in front of him. "He escaped, didn't he?"

"Like it's going to be hard to find him after I kill you..."

"He's smart, and we're not alone –"

Credence turned, shaking. A long, drawn-out wail had stopped him in his tracks. He had gotten away, very far away, with those precious seconds that she had given him to escape. But her voice was unmistakable and that pain that she felt was tearing in his soul as well.

He turned, just barely, and found a crack between the thick trees to look at the clearing. She was kneeling in front of him, clutching her shoulder with her features contorted in pain. When she removed her hand, slowly and deliberately, he could see that it was stained red.

She had told him not to look back, but he couldn't help it. Even then, the mere sight of her blood made him take a few steps back. He was still watching, from further back, when Grindelwald laughed. Mathilda smiled weakly, and there was a sudden flash of green that struck her right over where her heart was. Credence was petrified, momentarily blinded by the green light. When he looked again, there was no sign of her.

He took a few steps forward and was unable to find her, no matter how hard he looked. She must have fallen, he realized, and was now hidden by the thick bushes on the ground.

"Credence!"

He turned quickly, expecting to find Grindelwald, but it was only Newt.

"Let's go!" he said.

"No," Credence croaked. "Mathilda, she's down there, we need to – there was a green flash and Grindelwald was there, but –"

"There's nothing we can do for her right now. You are our priority."

Newt put a hand on Credence's shoulder, and soon he felt the unfamiliar sensation of being pushed through a tight tube that he had begun to dislike.

They were leaving that forest. Worse than that, they were leaving Mathilda.