JOSH DUN VS THE WORLD ✓

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR: YOU NEVER HAD HIM, AND YOU NEVER WILL

Dallon's just getting to his feet when Josh runs at him, the swing of his blade barely being blocked by another sword that appeared out of nowhere. Josh pushes against his sword, hearing a crack.

"You think just 'cause you have someone else's heart means you're indestructible?" Dallon bellows, shoving Josh back.

"Dude, you just killed me, obviously I'm not indestructible," Josh sneers, readjusting his grip on the handle. "I just don't fucking care anymore."

Josh takes a stab at Dallon's stomach, but is blocked and kicked away with ease, skidding near the edge of the stage. Halsey jumps in front of him, slashing and slicing at the man while Tyler drags him far enough to allow him get back to his feet.

Jon, who is for some reason still on Dallon's side, grabs a microphone stand and chucks it at the stage lights. The bulbs shatter instantly, flinging all of them into darkness. What's still left of the crowd screams.

Josh walks backwards until he's flush against with Halsey, holding the sword out in front of him. "Do you see anything?" He whispers.

"No," Halsey responds. She straightens her back, her hair tickling his neck. "So, are you and Ty a thing again?"

He snorts. "Is that really a priority right now?"

"Just curious, considering that he was under mind control when he broke up with you."

"It's complicated. I'm sure after all of this we're going to have a discussion about it."

She laughs. He still loves her laugh.

Josh catches a flicker of fire in the corner of his eye and sidesteps the swing before Dallon reaches Halsey. The cracked part of his sword catches with the fiery blade and snaps.

"What was that?" Halsey pushes back against him, grunting followed by the sound of metal against metal. Josh assumes Dallon's in front of her. "Was that your sword?"

"Yup."

He feels more than sees a hand grab him by the throat, slamming him back to the ground. Josh kicks, grappling with whoever is sitting on his waist. Nails dig into the flesh of his neck, no doubt breaking skin.

"Josh! Tyler! Where are you? I can't- ah!"

This can't be Dallon. He's still fighting with Halsey, who he can hear struggling against him. Then who the hell is choking him out?

"I can't believe you would pick a piece of ass like him instead of me."

Josh's eyes widen as he makes out the black silhouette of a very, very angry Jon. He slaps weakly at Jon's arms, his mind going foggy. He can't breathe. Every time he manages to loosen Jon's grip, he calms down even harder, whatever air left in his lungs burning like fire.

If he dies again Tyler's going to be pissed.

"You're such a fucking prick, going through relationships like tissues, throwing them away once you don't need them anymore," Jon rambles on, squeezing harder when Josh tries to talk, only strangled coughs escaping. "The world's better off without someone like you."

Just as quickly as they went off, the stage lights turn back on. Josh can see the tears streaming down Jon's face, an angry blush reaching from his cheeks all the way down to his next. His vision goes black around the edges, the furious image of who was one his best friend choking him out going in and out of focus.

"Let him go, asshole!"

Jon's hand leave his throat and Josh surges forward, coughing and gasping for air. He glares at Jon, whose trapped under the tangle of Halsey's chain that wrapped around his neck.

Halsey yanks the chain down, slamming Jon onto his back. His body goes limp, eyes rolling back in his head. Josh shoots Halsey a half hearted smile, still trying to catch his breath, before realizing that he can't seem to find Tyler or Dallon. They're both nowhere to be found.

"Tyler," Josh chokes out, letting Halsey drag him to his feet. "Where's Tyler?"

She looks behind him and lets out a blood curdling scream, her face dropped into pure terror. Josh turns to see Dallon holding Tyler a few inches off the ground by his throat. A snapped half handle of Tyler's mallet lies behind him next to Dallon's discarded sword.

"I was the best thing that ever happened to you! No one else can have you if I can't!" Dallon drops Tyler, who crumbles, half-conscious on the floor. "You're just a weak, untrusting little boy."

Anger bubbles inside Josh, overflowing almost instantly. He charges at him, but Halsey holds him back, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Let me go! I'm going to kill him!" Josh shouts, seeing the world in tinted red as Dallon walks down the steps of his elevated stage, kicking the mallet away from Tyler's outstretched hand. Tyler stops moving.

Josh finally gets away from Halsey and takes a running start at Dallon. He manages to cut his side before Dallon grabs the blade and wrenches it out of his hands, throwing it to the side.

Just as Josh realizes his mistake- that he never really stood a chance- Dallon kicks him square in the chest, sending him crashing into Halsey. They both slide across the dance floor from each other, Halsey's chains and knives somewhere between the two of them.

He pushes himself up to his elbows, shaking from exhaustion. The taste of his own blood still lingers in his mouth. His whole body is throbbing with pain. Any more of this and they're all goners.

"What makes you think you deserve him and I don't?" Dallon demands, sauntering down the steps, taking his time.

There's movement behind him. Josh tries not to look too long, but he can't help the smile creeping across his bruised cheeks. "I don't deserve him. He's too good for both of us. But at least I didn't keep him as a sex slave when he rejected me."

Tyler makes it to his feet, dragging one of his legs as he quietly makes his way to Dallon, who's stopped at the bottom of the stage's steps. Josh can clearly see the sword in his hands.

Dallon scoffs and kneels down to pick up the chains. Josh looks at Halsey poignantly, hoping he can see what he's trying to tell her, leaps for the knives, grabbing hold of one end. She does the same, snapping the chain to its full length.

When they do that, Tyler rams the flaming sword through the center of Dallon's chest, the fires flattening against his back and dissipating. Dallon wheezes out a surprised gasp, stunned.

Josh stands, followed by Halsey, and together they wrap the chains around his side, stabbing both knives into his gut. Dallon falls to his knees, blood trickling down the side of his mouth. He looks up at Josh and grins.

"You bastard," he chuckles, coughing slightly when he does so. "I almost had him too."

"You never had him, and you never will."

Dallon shoots Tyler a solemn look before his eyes roll back and he falls forward, dissolving into a bunch of pennies. Not even quarters. Fucking pennies. Cheap bastard.

"I was expecting more, to be honest," Halsey says.

Josh rolls his eyes. "The guy was a jackass, he's not worth any more."

Tyler leans against him, intertwining their hands together. "It's over. You did it."

"No." Josh puts his free arm around Halsey, pulling her close. "We did it."