UPRISE

037

Corbin can't handle it anymore. He twists around the arm of the man who guards him and flips him around so that he is behind him. Corbin wrestles the gun out of his hand and holds it up to the man's head.

"Let us go!" Corbin barks. He grips on to the man tighter, his finger wrapped around the trigger.

Thatcher laughs. "You think I care about number nine?" Then, he pulls the trigger and shoots the man in Corbin's arms dead.

Corbin tries to hold up the man, as another shot fires into him. Then another. The man's body goes limp, and his breath becomes raspy as if pinched. 

Reagan would duck in the water as bullets fly over his head, but already his nose barely peeks above the surface. His muscles are tightening. Another bullet flies overheard as Reagan freezes.

Rinn can't stand it anymore. She darts away from her guard, who still holds Noah, just as Thatcher fires a fourth shot. The bullet hits her in the stomach, and she falls on to the ground, landing on top of a pile of coats. Her scarf tightens around her neck, and not even her asthma can compare to the burning in her stomach.

She coughs up bile.

"Fuck," Connery grabs Thatcher by the collar. "You were supposed to save her for me!"

Corbin takes the opportunity to throw the body and shoot Connery. He gets him in the leg, and then ducks down on the ground.

Chaos erupts around them. The Golds all reach into their pockets for their guns, as the Primary Crew ducks to the ground.

Corbin fires the gun from his spot on the ground. He takes down three more Gold before he is shot. They hit him in the back, causing him to tip forward. He hits the ground in a pile, but the Golds keep shooting.

The banging pulls Wren out of his stupor. He crawls over to Reagan, who is only able to keep his lips above the water now. Wren reaches out his hand. He knows Reagan is in the water, but he can't see past his own fingertips. As Reagan takes it, Wren fades from consciousness. He tips in the water and collapses on top of Reagan. Reagan could barely keep himself afloat before, and now they both sink down to the depths of the water.

On the ground, Jasmine begins to have a seizure.

Pluto takes the opportunity to charge Connery. She shoves him in the water, and he trips and falls in. She smiles as he thrashes, unable to use his leg. His coat weighs him down. Thatcher shoots Pluto in the head, and she falls to the ground.

The remaining two of Thatcher's lackeys go running. Harper runs to grab a hold of Noah, and tucks Noah behind him.

"Please," Harper begs. "Let us go."

"Why are you even still fucking alive?" Thatcher shouts.

Harper runs, his hand slipping from Noah's. He trips on a body and hits the ground. Thatcher manages to get up from behind. He puts the gun against Harper's head and pulls the trigger.

Noah screams, for the first time in his life unable to run. His skin burns bright red from the cold and from the raw guttural roar ripping apart his throat. He feels his legs give out from beneath him until Noah is in a ball in the snow.

"Oh, would you just shut up?" Thatcher picks up Noah off the ground. "Just get in the fucking suitcase, would you?"

Noah can't move. Well, he can't stop shaking, but he can't consciously and knowingly take even the slightest of breaths. There is a gun pressed against his temple, and it feels like ice. He looks around at his dead friends.

There is a shot behind them. Thatcher pulls Noah up against his chest, turning around to follow the direction of the bang. He hears the rustling of the trees and footsteps approaching. Noah waits for the gun to move, to aim at the figure coming for them. What could be waiting that is worse than Thatcher?

Edison steps out from within the trees, a gun in hand and blood splattered across his face. Like freckles. Like asteroids coming into the atmosphere. Not like stars at all, except that they too burn.

"Come back to play?" Thatcher brushes a strand of hair out of his head.

Noah tries to sniff back the tears, but they've already frozen on his face. He wonders if they will be there forever.

"Give Noah to me," Edison says. His eyes flicker to Noah's face, and his grip around the gun tightens.

"Don't pretend you know how to use that," Thatcher laughs. "You're an Oxford elite."

Edison adjusts his shoulders, lowering the gun. "I grew up in Texas, you fucking bitch."

Thatcher shrugs. He takes a step to the side and dips Noah's foot in the icy water. Noah's body begins to convulse, but he still can't find it in him to duck or run. All of his muscles have seized.

"Let's keep going with the plan," Thatcher says. Noah wishes he could see his face. He wishes that he could see anything but Edison staring blankly at him. "Put this boy in the suitcase, chuck him in the water, and be done with this mess."

"And when that's done, we go back to you being in charge?" Edison scrunches his nose. "I don't think so."

Thatcher's smirk falters. He tightens Noah against himself, taking steps back in the snow. "Throw me the gun, or I blow his brains out."

"You'll do it either way," Edison points out, lowering the gun. He knows that he is in no danger. Thatcher thinks that Noah matters to Edison, which means that Thatcher will shoot Noah, just to see Edison suffer.

Noah watches something flicker in Edison's face. It's so brief, and his vision is going blurry, so he can't tell if it's a smile or a frown.

"Run, before I kill you," Edison warns.

Thatcher drops Noah and runs. Noah trips over Harper's body and falls into the pit of water. He thrashes at the water, reaching out for the side. Noah doesn't know how to swim.

Edison's eyes flicker to Noah crawling for help, and then at Thatcher, who has just made it to the trees.

He fires the gun, and it bursts through Thatcher's chest, spraying the trees with blood. He expected birds to fly off, or for something to happen when the last Gold fell, but all the birds have long since gone, and it has since stopped snowing. The moment is quiet, except for Noah's flailing arms. Edison chucks the gun, Then, he helps lift Noah out of the water.

Noah's body can't handle the cold anymore. He can't see Edison, can't feel the material of his soaked-through jacket.

"Noah," Edison puts a hand to Noah's face, forcing the boy to look up at him. Noah's blue eyes look back, his eyelashes fluttering. He can hear echoes of words but doesn't feel their real impact. He still feels like he is sinking.

 "Noah, answer me."

Noah closes his eyes.

Edison presses their foreheads together. He hears helicopters overhead.

~~~~~

One chapter left. Yikes.