The Only Hope for Me Is You

I ducked a few laser beams as I ran towards Gerard. He had been backed up into a corner and, at least, ten Draculoids were cornering him. I quickly ran forward and took down five. Gerard easily got out of it and came towards me.

"Thanks," he mumbled. I nodded and continued to fire off shots towards the advancing enemy. As I tried to take down as many Draculoids and Scarecrows as I could, I kept an eye on Abigail and Mark. So far, they seemed to be holding themselves up pretty well; with the help of Grace, of course.

I ducked a few more shots but was grabbed from behind. An arm, clothed in white, wrapped around my throat, cutting off my air supply. I felt it's disgusting breath on my neck as it spoke to me.

"Silly, silly Killjoy." he whispered. He nudged his ray gun into my temple and I smiled.

"Silly, silly Draculoid." I managed to squeeze out, mocking him in every way possible. I threw my elbow into his stomach, knocking him backwards and making him release his grip from my neck. I drew in a much needed breath then fired at him. He dropped to the ground.

"Don't ever hesitate to kill the enemy right away." I murmured to the dead Draculoid. I turned and rounded more shots off, more white suits fell to the ground.

The adrenaline pumping through my veins was the only thing keeping me going. I grimaced as I watched a few members of our team fall, then my mind quickly flickered to the battle. Do not let them die in vain; the same thing I had said to Violet Vengeance. Avenge the death of our comrades.

I heard an ear piercing scream that could only be recognized as a little girl's. My eyes quickly flashed to Abigail to see some Scarecrows currently cornering her. They didn't shoot because I'm sure they were hoping to bring her back to the jail cells. They weren't all that heartless to actually shoot a kid.

"Hold on, Abby!" I called out, running towards her, but before I got there, Grace was there, blasting them away. I smiled and she gave me a nod, knowing that I had thanked her.

I returned to fighting and knocked down a few Scarecrows, when a particular Draculoid came upon me. I turned to him, ready to kill him, when I saw the familiar pair of blue eyes through the eye holes in the mask. I choked up, not having the heart to shoot a person I had once grew up with, but he seemed to have no problem with it.

He fired off three shots and I soon felt a burning feeling in my upper left arm, my right thigh, and, most of all, dead center in my stomach.

"Bob," I choked out, not completely understanding why he had shot me. I looked into his eyes and I could see a ghost of what emotion he should of been feeling, but it was soon taken away and he returned to the fight.

I fell to my knees, dropping my ray gun and clutching my stomach in agony. I started to cough and dark red liquid sprayed out of my mouth and nose.

"Midnight!" I heard someone shout but I was quickly loosing my battle for consciousness, so I couldn't be sure anymore.

My vision started to blur as I fell to my side, more blood dripping from my mouth.

"Everybody! Move out!" Someone ordered as I struggled to breath through the thick liquid that had built up in my lungs.

"Sissy!" I recognized Abigail call. I looked up to her and tried to muster a smile, but Grace was pulling her and Mark away.

"Midnight!" I looked over to see Frank and Gerard running towards me. I closed my eyes but opened them again when I felt like I was floating.

"You're gonna be okay, Avarie. Okay? You're gonna be alright." Frank said quickly as he carried me towards the van that we had shown up in.

I let out a gurgled cough, more blood appeared and got all over Frank. I tried to breathe but it seemed impossible at this point. Everything was tunneling and I felt my eyes roll back into my head as I was placed onto the floor of the van.

"No, Avarie! Stay awake! You promised you weren't gonna leave again, remember? Remember that, Avarie? You promised!" I heard Gerard shout. I tried to concentrate enough to look up at him but it wasn't working.

I coughed more violently, my body convulsing as it tried to get some kind of oxygen. I felt something being tied around my arm and leg tightly and then something being pressed into my stomach.

"You're gonna make it, don't worry." Frank kept repeating. I scrunched my eyebrows together and clenched my teeth.

If felt like I was on fire and the fire had spread all over my body. With the fire, I could also feel a heavy weight, something I've never experienced before. I weighed down on my lower body and chest. I tried to push against it, to move it so I could breathe, but it wouldn't budge. I gasped out as it got considerably heavier and I suddenly paid no mind to whatever and whoever was surrounding me.

A darkness washed over my mind and I suddenly saw something. The light everyone talked about - the one you saw right before you die - it was there. I felt myself longing for it. It gave out an aura of peace and relief. I wanted it to get bigger and engulf me. But something was pulling me away from it.

"Please, Avarie. Please stay with us!" It was a whisper at that point but I held onto it, knowing I had to stay somewhere to ease this person's worries.

My throat started to burn as I coughed again and more thick liquid filled my mouth, spilling out over my cheeks and chin. Someone was patting my hair down, trying to keep me calm as I squirmed to get my airways free.

"Bob," I managed to gurgle out. I'm not sure anybody understood me but I tried again anyway. "I saw.. Bob." I gasped out and once again, my eyes rolled back into my head.

"Shh, it's okay. You shouldn't of hesitated, Avarie! I told you not to hesitate when you saw him! I told you! Goddammit, I told you!" I heard someone cry but I didn't know who it was.

"Can you make this van go any fucking faster?! She's fucking dying!" Another voice - much louder than the last - shouted.

"I'm trying, Party Poison! Don't fucking yell at me," It was easy to tell that the tension in the van was set to an all time high, and I set it even higher when I felt that my struggle with trying to breathe slowly started to slip.

"Avarie?! Avarie, breathe! Please, Avarie!" I squinted my eyes, trying to see the people talking to me, begging for me to stay with them.

With much effort, I raised my hand up and placed it against what I thought to be as Frank's cheek. I mustered the best smile I could, trying to look him in the eye.

"I love you," I breathed out, coughing once more. "I love.. all of you.. guys. Thank.. you. For every.. thing. You're my.. best fucking frie-" I got cut off when my breathing stopped and my eyes slowly fell shut.

"Avarie, Avarie, Avar-" The repeating off my name kept on going but kept getting fainter and fainter, until I couldn't hear it anymore and I was in complete darkness.