Hybrid

Chapter 33: In The End

I was in the cold wintry world, Jason crushed against the tree as he grasped at shallow breaths. Alice on the ground, motionless. Ari... clutching my wrist, her face contorted in pain. Everything seemed frozen as I looked around the site, even Greed's eyes stood motionless as they stare at the point of our connection-- though, as I got my bearing, things seemed to slowly whir to life, motion returning to the frozen scene. I took a deep breath and as Greed's eyes finally fell on mine, I lept back from them, retracting my armor from their exposed wound.

"W-What did you just do?" Greed said as their wound closed, staring at me with panic in their eyes. "Tell me what you just did!" They shot their hand out and a tendril of armor flew towards me, faster than my fatigued physique could react; inches in front of my face it deflected at almost a perfect ninety-degree angle to the left, missing me by inches. "How did you...?" Greed looked at their hand and then at me. 

"That b-body was never yours!" I felt my voice rise out of my chest as the strength of my friend fought through Greed to protect me, "W-Why do you think y-you could c-control what it does?" 

"Shut up!" They growled as they slammed their armor over and over around me, failing to hit me every time as if an invisible force course-corrected their attacks. "I swear, I will bring you within an inch of your life and bleed the truth out of you, the truth of WHAT YOU DID TO ME!" They roared out in frustration as I dodged their attempts to harm me-- "RAH!" 

Before I knew what happened, it was pitch black. I was surrounded by the armor. I look around for a hole, an exit, anything the lead to Jason, but nothing. I wrap my hands in the armor and press them firmly into the void-black wall of armor surrounding me, making the space between hiss and crackle like meat on a hot pan. I needed to get to Jason. He needed me and this God damned armor wouldn't budge! "Ari, please!" I found myself shouting, "Just l-let me out! J-Jason needs me!" I cried, desperation creeping through. "Ari!" I begged, "Please... Fight back... don't let him t-take Jason too!"

Like bending, tearing, splitting steel the armor opened as if it were fighting itself, Greed growling and moaning, trying to keep it from releasing me against his will. As soon as there was an opening, I jumped through the eye-shaped exit. 

I glanced back at Greed; they were gripping their head, groaning as the ground beneath us rumbled. This was the chance I needed. I ran to Jason and pushed his hand away from the hole in his side-- there was so much blood... Shaking my head, I replaced his hand with my own, pressing down on his wound hard enough to make him gasp, his eyes darting around and finding mine as he jolted out of his pained stupor. "J-Jason?

"Amy? Amy... you n-need to--" He coughed and I saw blood splash onto his hand as he hacked into it. He took labored breaths before speaking again and seeing him like this... it made my blood boil. "Amy, you need... to go... please..." 

Even before he finished his sentence, I was shaking my head. "Just s-stay still, I-I can--" 

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Greed screeched, causing me to jump and close my eyes. I had to focus. I needed to-- "I'LL-- hrrrk... I'LL KILL YOU!" I could hear Greed spit and growl, the sound of bending metal or, more likely, armor behind me as their growling got closer. 

"Amy... Amy, please..." Jason's face was contorted in pain as he cried, his eyes closed as tears washed over his blood-covered face. I tried to clear my mind but I could still see his face. 

I took a breath and tried to remember how Jason healed himself-- That cool feeling he talked about. I tried to force that cool healing sensation he had told me about, the feeling I had felt when Tommy had healed me in my bedroom, and before long I could feel the cold creep up my spine, over my shoulders, and through my hands as they pressed down tightly on his wound. He let out a sharp gasp but slowly his breaths became calmer-- I could feel the wound closing under my hand! I let out a laugh and I couldn't help but smile as the knot in my stomach finally untied. This was easier than I thought... it felt natural. He's going to be okay, I know he will be. He has to be. "J-Jason, you're going to be okay, b-but I need to know if you're hurt anywhere else."