Transcendence ✹ Septicgab

Five

Gab and I met up at the Cathedral Ward, and Ethan came running in after, frantic. Seeing him that distraught made Gab start to panic a bit.

"E-Ethan?" Gab said. "Where's Mark? Where's Amy?" Ethan was out of his right of mind.

"They need help!" He said, trying to catch his breath. "Come quick!" We equipped our strongest weapons, grabbed a few molotav cocktails, and loaded up our guns. Ethan led us to where he left the two. They were sitting behind a tree, and as soon as we saw them, Amy was able to stand, but Mark wasn't. He had been wounded, and it took all of his energy. Amy tried taking care of him, but being the independent, masculine, hero type, Mark didn't want her to worry about him.

"She's back, you guys," she said. "Christine.... She's back... Up there, sniping.." Amy pointed up to a tower. "Mark got hit, but I'm out of vials." Gab grabbed a blood vial from her coat and stuck him with it. "Any chance you have bandages, too?" Gab nodded, proceeding to wrap a bandage around Mark's shoulder.

"Thank you.." Mark groaned. "That bullet came out of nowhere."

"You said she's up there?" I asked Amy, and she nodded. I whipped out my monocular. "There.. There she is. It's Christine.."

"Is she alone?" Gab asked.

"It looks like it.." I said, then saw two people moving toward her. "Oh.. Oh shit.."

"How many of them?" Ethan asked.

"It's three. We've got the numbers in our favour, but.." I said, looking back into the glass. "It's Felix.. and Marzia.." Amy pressed her hands against her face, trying not to scream in panic. "Amy, how experienced were they when you encountered them?"

"Um," she thought back. "Felix seemed distracted, but still managed to wound me... Marzia, on the other hand, acted like she recognised me. I.. I don't know if they actually knew me." Mark started to slowly pull himself up on his feet.

"Whoa there, big guy.." Ethan said, letting Mark brace himself on him. "How you feeling?"

"Well... I'm good.." Mark said. "I think."

"Take it easy," I said. "We can handle it on our own.." Mark looked pissed.

"I'm not going to let those assholes win by sitting around and letting my girlfriend and best friends do the work," he said. "Besides... It was my shoulder, not my leg."

-

We went to the Cathedral Ward to figure out our plans, and Ethan amazed us with his previously unseen map he drew himself.

"Okay.. So we are here," he pointed. "They are here. We're not going to have much time before they ambush. After all.... they do know at least myself, Amy and Mark are in the area.."

"So what do you suppose we do?" Mark asked. "If we go in guns blazing, we're bound to have someone get hurt.."

"That's what I was hoping Gab would know.." Ethan gritted his teeth.

"Why me?" She asked, feeling anxious.

"You've known her the longest.." Ethan explained. "And.. you know her fighting style, don't you?" Gab shrugged. "Maybe she'll recognise you this time."

"I.. I really don't think she's going to know it's me." I wrapped my arm around my girlfriend. "If she's attacked me already, and she never stopped to think about who I was.

"Babe," I said. "If you don't want to... you don't have to."

"Bu-" Ethan started speaking, but I interrupted him.

"She doesn't have to," I said. "When I ran into Christine, she told me I'd never see her again. If Felix and Marzia leave her side, I think I can get to her.."

"I'm not gonna let you do that alone.." Gab said. "I can't lose you."

"It's going to be okay.." I gently kissed her, easing her anxiety. "I'm going to need you to go with Ethan and snake around to get a jump on Marzia and Felix." Gab nodded.

"What do you need of me?" Amy asked. "I'd love to get my revenge.." She punched her hand into her palm.

"You can either help Gab and Ethan, or stay here with Mark and be our lookouts," I said. "Gab... I love you... and you're not gonna lose me..." Gab started to tear up, but I wiped her tears away. "If worse case.... I can't find you after this.... I promise.. I will get back to you." She tightly wrapped her arms around me.

"I hate this world.." She whimpered in my ear. "But you make it better.."

-

The five of us looked over the area and made sure our targets were still up the tower. Ethan and Gab went over their route to break the three up, and signaled to me when they got Felix and Marzia out of the way.

"Christine!" I yelled, exposing myself. She looked down at me, ready to shoot. "Please.. Hold your fire."

"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked. "I thought we agreed we wouldn't cross paths again."

"Well... I can't help the fact that I had to advance to here.." I said, seeing Ethan duck behind the tower. "I need your help."

"Seán, I already told you.. I'm-"

"I just want to know one thing.." I said, and she went silent. "What makes it so easy for you?"

"Makes what so easy for me?"

"Killing. Hurting innocent people.." I said. "You chopped off a man's leg, shot my girlfriend in the foot, and shot another man in the shoulder.. You are violent!" I took a deep breath. "What makes this... so easy for you?"

"I don't care what you think, Seán," Christine said. "This is the world we are in... this is nothing personal. I have to kill to survive!" She pointed the gun at me again.

"Then who are those buddies of yours?" I asked, and she turned around right as Ethan disarmed her. Gab pointed her gun right at Christine's head.

"Fuck.." Christine yelled. Amy, Mark and I joined them after Ethan gave the all clear signal. As we walked up, I saw two other hunters.

"Shit.." The three of us ducked. "They're back.."

"Leave it to me," Mark said. "If Gab and Ethan keep Christine contained, I can get to Felix. Amy, you disarm Marzia." His girlfriend nodded in agreement. "Seán... Keep us covered. Join Gab and Ethan when the coast is clear." I nodded.

-

The two of them scurried toward Felix and Marzia, and within seconds, both were disarmed and held at gunpoint. I climbed up to my girlfriend and Ethan, and Christine rolled her eyes at me.

"What?" I asked. "Mad you lost?"

"Ha!" Christine laughed. "You really think you won?" Gab cocked her gun. "Whoa there, hun."

"We were best friends on earth.." Gab said, choking back tears. "Why did you try to kill me? Why did you try to kill any of us?" Christine slowly turned around. "Look at me... Take a really good look..."

"You're pathetic," she scoffed. "Worthless scum." Gab held back the urge to pop her right then and there by thinking about who Christine was before.

"Christine..." Ethan said. "Do you really think calling her names is going to help you? The most it'll do.... is get the bullets in Gab's gun into your skull."

"You're gonna die here... sooner or later," Christine had a smirk across her face.

"Excuse me?" Amy said in a threatening tone.

"It's the way this world works.. Hunt.. or be.. hunted." Christine let out a menacing laugh. "If you really think keeping us captive is going to keep you alive.... think again."