97 Near Disasters
When he was twenty-two, Niko Leandros ordered his younger brother's death. His dreams and nightmares bring that death back to him, over and over again. It begins with a name: Cyrano. Bright, quicksilver eyes fasten on Niko's. There is a moment of understanding. Cal, and the thing inside of him, have a choice: sacrifice the gate to Tumulus, take a hostage, and murder two men, or let Niko attack uncontested and hope that enough Auphe come through to murder the entire world.
In the dream, there is no time to wonder why Cal and the creature that possessed him chose as they did. Niko's blade sinks into his brother's body with the ease of a needle sliding into skin. Blood blossoms on the younger Leandros's shirt, runs down the blade and coats his hands as they close around the weapon sheathed in his abdomen. "Well," the strange voice that is Cal and not quite Cal says. "Look at that." Unable to stand, he goes to his knees. His blood rushes out of him, no longer held back by six inches of steel through the wound. The gate, tied to his life and his strength, begins to close. "My mistake. I guess you have the balls after all. Good for you, big brother."
Niko watches Cal. He's searching for something behind the metallic sheen of his brother's eyes, for a sign that Darkling hasn't smothered everything that was his host. There is little time to decide. Auphe are swarming around them. Goodfellow and Samuel have almost nothing left. In a few moments, they will either be torn limb from limb by the most vicious creatures ever to exist, or crushed by the warehouse that is beginning to crumble overhead. Delicacy and soul-searching will have to wait. Niko hauls his brother into a fireman's carry.
As Cal bleeds out in the back seat of Niko's car, a friend is left behind to die, a willing sacrifice. There is blood on Niko's hands. It soaks through layer upon layer of cloth, the improvised bandages rendered useless as they become saturated. Robin argues with him. Niko brushes the Puck's words aside.
Relief comes when they reach Rafferty. Wounds are healed. It's time for the decision that could not be made in the ruins of the warehouse.
"My brother's blood is already on my hands. I'll finish what I started," Niko tells the others. To Cal he says, "Kid brothers, they're a pain in the ass or so everyone says. Everyone is wrong. Goodbye, little brother."
Cal's heart stops. Darkling dies.
In the nightmares, Cal dies with him.
[OOC: Memory of a dream of a memory. Sorry for LJ-cut fail earlier. Do have to disappear for a bit, but will try to be back ASAP.]
In the dream, there is no time to wonder why Cal and the creature that possessed him chose as they did. Niko's blade sinks into his brother's body with the ease of a needle sliding into skin. Blood blossoms on the younger Leandros's shirt, runs down the blade and coats his hands as they close around the weapon sheathed in his abdomen. "Well," the strange voice that is Cal and not quite Cal says. "Look at that." Unable to stand, he goes to his knees. His blood rushes out of him, no longer held back by six inches of steel through the wound. The gate, tied to his life and his strength, begins to close. "My mistake. I guess you have the balls after all. Good for you, big brother."
Niko watches Cal. He's searching for something behind the metallic sheen of his brother's eyes, for a sign that Darkling hasn't smothered everything that was his host. There is little time to decide. Auphe are swarming around them. Goodfellow and Samuel have almost nothing left. In a few moments, they will either be torn limb from limb by the most vicious creatures ever to exist, or crushed by the warehouse that is beginning to crumble overhead. Delicacy and soul-searching will have to wait. Niko hauls his brother into a fireman's carry.
As Cal bleeds out in the back seat of Niko's car, a friend is left behind to die, a willing sacrifice. There is blood on Niko's hands. It soaks through layer upon layer of cloth, the improvised bandages rendered useless as they become saturated. Robin argues with him. Niko brushes the Puck's words aside.
Relief comes when they reach Rafferty. Wounds are healed. It's time for the decision that could not be made in the ruins of the warehouse.
"My brother's blood is already on my hands. I'll finish what I started," Niko tells the others. To Cal he says, "Kid brothers, they're a pain in the ass or so everyone says. Everyone is wrong. Goodbye, little brother."
Cal's heart stops. Darkling dies.
In the nightmares, Cal dies with him.
[OOC: Memory of a dream of a memory. Sorry for LJ-cut fail earlier. Do have to disappear for a bit, but will try to be back ASAP.]