A Beautiful Reflection From Firework Eyes

I'm Gonna Light Up This Place And Die In Beautiful Stars

I'm so sorry :( these few chapters are gonna be a wild ride. 

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(Five months ago)

I don't know how Jaime got the door open, but he somehow did. I've tried before but given up, seeing how thick the plating was and that there was no way to unlatch it from the inside. Jaime managed to though—he said he had jammed the lock earlier that day.

I'm honestly impressed. Jaime really did have everything planned out. Whatever supplies we might need, he has slung over his shoulder in a backpack I didn't know he had. Right before we left, he jams the security cameras with his powers—that had been easy enough for him, just a quick snap of his fingers.

The only sound in the hallway is our footsteps as we move as quickly as we can. I try to ignore the pain in my stomach as we hurry, Jaime practically carrying me.

"It's just a little further," he says as we turn the corner. The jammed security cameras hopefully will give us more time, but I know we're in no shape to fight if they catch us. They're probably checking on the rooms right now.

The lights flash overhead, the power coming back on abruptly. Both of us freeze in surprise, exchanging a glance. We're both thinking the same thing. We're out of time.

"Shit," Jaime mutters. "We gotta get out of here."

We move as fast as we can, down the hallway, heading for the pair of double doors at the end. The places usually occupied by the two guards are empty—if everything went according to plan, they are checking the control room. We caught them by surprise. They didn't suspect Jaime could do this—a foolish mistake on their part, one that we exploited.

We're almost there. It's just a few more meters. But I hear shouts at the end of the hallway. I don't have to turn to know the guards are charging toward us, running much faster than we currently are.

"Shit," Jaime says. "What do we do?"

"Leave me here," I gasp. "I'm slowing you down."

"I'm not leaving you behind," Jaime says. "We're in this together."

"It's better if one of us makes it out," I plead. "Just go. I'll be fine."

"They'll kill you, Vic," Jaime says. "You know that."

"So you're just gonna get caught too? So we can both die?"

Jaime hesitates, and I know he's caught in a standstill. They're drawing closer by the second, and our precious time is slipping away.

"They won't kill you if they thought you weren't part of it," he mutters. "You'd be safe."

"What about you?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "I told you, I'm leaving this place, one way or another," he says. I catch the hidden meaning in his words, my blood running cold. "I've been locked up here too long."

"Hime—"

"I'm sorry," Jaime says. I don't have time to ask him why before he grabs me roughly, making me cry out in pain. In one move, he shoved me to the ground on my knees just as the guards run around the corner, guns up. There's a gun in Jaime's hand, one that I didn't even know he had. But it's not pointed at them. It's aimed at me.

"Take one step closer, and I'll kill him," Jaime warns. The barrel presses against the side of my head and I close my eyes reflexively before I open them again, seeing the guards frozen in front of me. I stare at them in confusion. I thought they'd want me dead. Why are they stopping?

"Drop the gun," the guard calls. "And we'll go easy on you."

Jaime shakes his head. "I'm leaving," he says. "Either you let me walk out that door or I'll blow his brains out."

"Jaime—" I start. They're never gonna let him go. As soon as he lets go of me, they'll shoot at him.

"Shut up," Jaime yells. His knee digs into my back, and I fall forward, trying not to cry out. I feel the stitches rip in my abdomen and warm blood runs down my front, soaking through my shirt. I gasp in pain, feeling tears prickle in the corners of my eyes. Out of the corner of my eye, I see one of the guards start forward, only to stop as Jaime presses the gun tighter to my head.

"Fine," the guard says, holding up his hands. "Just let him go." Jaime hesitates, then without warning, he shoves me roughly to the side. This time I do scream out in pain, the sound echoing through the hallway. I fall onto the ground, my hands slippery with blood as I gasp for breath through the pain digging into my skull. Hands wrap around my arms in an uncomfortable grip, keeping me from lunging after him as he takes off down the hallway, gunshots echoing after him.

"Jaime!" I scream, struggling to get away from the guards, even as my head spins, the floor turning red beneath me. I feel the rest of my stitches rip as I lunge forward, the concrete slippery beneath me.

I see him stumble and fall, panic rushing through me. I shove the guards off, stumbling to my feet as I try to move toward him. I'm too unsteady to stand, though, and I'm on the floor before I know it, gasping for breath as my lungs suddenly seem to collapse. The floor is slick with blood—my blood as pain sears through my body. Still, I struggle to stand, again and again, but each time I know I'm losing, the world spinning faster and faster around me.

Someone roughly grabs my shoulder, and I cry out in pain. I feel the prick of a needle in my neck, and the world goes dark around me as I struggle to reach my friend.