HROT 3: End of All Things

Chapter 4: The Fallen Capital

Tony's spade crunched as it penetrated the loose earth. He tossed another clump onto the pile. Sweat rolled off his nose. He was not expecting to spend his first moments back on HROT burying friends, but he wouldn't leave Jack's corpse in its present state.

Crunk was wheezing as he dug alongside Tony. "Take a seat, Crunk," Tony said. "I can handle the rest." The Architect was chirping on his shoulder.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Crunk replied breathlessly. "This man was my brother." Crunk was digging a separate grave—one for TF, whose wrapped body they had carried out of the Glass-LT, not wanting it to decompose in the ship any longer.

Marie was viciously flinging dirt from her shovel in every direction while the Architect perched on her shoulder, clinging on with all its strength. She grunted violently, as if she were exerting all of her anger on the dirt. Mewten was quickly getting worn out. Tony had forgotten that he was still just a kid, and the boy seemed to have even less stamina than Crunk in his weakened state. "I can take it from here guys, really," Tony reiterated. "You all deserve a break."

A look of fury flashed onto Marie's face. "You don't get to do that," she growled.

"Do what?" Tony asked in surprise.

"Act like you're the hero who has to hold the rest of us up. I'm not going to stop digging until the graves are finished."

Crunk nearly fell over in exhaustion. Marie laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You've been a big help, Crunk. Now rest." Reluctantly, Crunk dropped his shovel and sat on the ground, gasping for air with his head hanging low.

Frustrated and fatigued, Mewten threw down his shovel and sat down as well. "It's so hot," he remarked. "Was it this hot when we left?"

Tony shook his head. "The very atmosphere is being transformed by all this destruction. If these damned aliens hadn't come here, this would still be a be a beautiful place."

"Well they did, and it isn't," Marie replied darkly. "This is all that remains of HROT. Just goes to show how fragile the things we hold dear really are."

The graves were finished. Now it was only a matter of getting Jack's body down. Tony struggled to support his weight on one leg as he used his staff to blast the rope Jack was hanging from with lightning. His body dropped quickly and almost silently to the ground.

Tony and Marie approached Jack's remains. Neither of them could look at him fully. They averted their eyes as they picked him up by his arms and one leg and carried him over to his grave. They looked in each others eyes with sorrow as they dropped the body and listened to the sickening thump as Jack hit the bottom.

Meanwhile, Crunk sniffled as he and Mewten raised TF's body and lowered it gently into his own grave, treating his remains with the delicacy deserving of a warrior. Crunk seemed barely able to compose himself.

Tony and Marie spent the next few minutes shoveling the dirt back into the graves. Once they were done, the four survivors gathered quietly around the dirt mound. "Well, that's that," Marie said somberly.

"Jack was a good man and a fearless warrior," Crunk said proudly. "He put his planet before his own life and saved as many as he could in the process. His deeds will live on far beyond his mortal shell." He weakly raised his club. "To Jack Barnes!"

"To Jack Barnes!" the other three repeated.

Crunk took a longing look at TF's grave. "And TF..." He struggled not to choke on his words. "TF was the greatest companion I have ever known. He saved my life more times than I can count, and he was more of a brother to me than a friend. The world is a much bleaker place without him." He attempted to raise his club again, but faltered. "To TF!" he still exclaimed.