I'm the Last One That You'll Ever Remember
Chapter 243: Odd Interlude
At the nearly traumatic sound of Poison being struck over the stair rail on the second floor and down onto the stairs leading to the first floor, Kobra reacted swiftly, and methodically with vengeance in his heart for the bastard that tried to eradicate his big brother. Turning to his right, he swung his 12-gauge shotgun towards the towering Iris who looked like he’d been lifting major weights since he last saw him. Without a second thought, he unloaded a single shot at him, hitting him in the arm and launching him down onto the ground with a resonant cry of pain.
With his weapon still locked on his target, Kobra gradually walked over to Iris who tried to scoot back from him on one arm as he cradled his other wounded arm to his chest. Glaring heatedly down at another one of his best pupils, Kobra hollered out to his brother a command that was also his way of checking in on him. “POISON! Get your ass back up here, NOW!”
Kobra received no answer. He didn’t let it exhibit on his face, but he was growing scared for his brother.
“IRIS! NO!” A horrific male voice screamed from over Kobra’s shoulder, making the former leader freeze in his stance as delicate footsteps came charging up behind him.
Iris’s eyes glanced past Kobra’s shoulder to see his literal heart running forward from the open doorway of their dim bedroom. He’d forgotten all about him through the searing pain radiating from his arm, and now that he was physically seeing his pink-haired lover, he wished he’d kept pushing for the slender boy to climb out the window on the makeshift ladder of sheets to flee the shootout coming from downstairs, but the boy wouldn’t hear of it. He wouldn’t leave Iris behind even if that meant certain death. As touching as it was, Iris really wanted Rouge far away from the danger coming up the stairs, but he had been too late.
Time had run out, and the shooters had been blasting their way up the stairs!
Having no choice, Iris had to somehow thwart the unidentified shooters. Grabbing Rouge and shoving him into the closet to hide, he exited the room to get the jump on the enemies only to find out it was two old Killjoy members taking their vengeance!
Rouge was supposed to stay hidden in their bedroom. He was supposed to stay in their goddamn bedroom! But he hadn’t, and Iris should’ve known he wouldn’t.
Iris’s heart stopped the moment he saw Kobra’s head turn in the direction of a teary-eyed Rouge who was running at him with a kitchen knife in his hand to save him. Turning pale that he only had a knife to this gunfight, Iris threw out his hand towards his lover to try and stop him from getting killed, screaming. “NO, DON’T!”
Poison, who had made it back up the stairs like he hadn’t just been brutally chucked halfway down it, whipped out one of his beloved bowie knives to send it flying directly at Rouge just in time to save his brother, lodging it straight into the boy’s fast-beating heart.
“NOOOOO!” Iris wailed in a loud bloodcurdling boom that seemed to deafen the drama and violence encircling him. It froze both of the Way brothers who had been on an ongoing killing spree since the moment they entered the deserted property unnoticed and under the cloak of darkness.
The force of the blade making contact with Rouge's body stopped him in his steps, cutting off his scream and making him sway on his feet as he slowly glanced down at the protruding knife sticking out of his chest. It registered then why he was feeling so weak and out of breath all of a sudden. As he lifted his eyes back up to his lover, Iris, he only managed to whisper his name. “I-Iris…”
Witnessing his lover’s eyes begin to flutter shut before he collapsed into a heap on the floor was a nightmare Iris never thought he’d ever live to see. Choking on his own breath because his Rouge could be dying right now and needing him, Iris scrambled to his feet to charge past Kobra not giving a damn if his life was next.
Throwing himself onto the ground beside Rouge, Iris tenderly gathered the more slender and petite boy in his arm, his heart breaking into irreparable pieces at how limp he was. He began to howl, his large hand shakily hovering over Poison’s blade nestled in his lover’s chest. He didn’t know what to do, to remove it or let it remain, and so he rocked Rouge in his arms and sobbed to him. “R-Rouge, baby, please! Hang on, I-I’m here! I’m not going anywhere so don’t you go l-leaving me behind!”
Not giving a damn at the sappy love story Iris and Rouge created amid the Killjoy family, Kobra aimed his gun to end Romeo and his Juliet for good. He was prevented however by his brother quickly rounding the newel post to grasp the barrel of his shotgun and lowering it away from the couple. Taken aback by his brother because he wasn’t the ‘sparing’ type, Kobra gave him a questioning look, awaiting an answer to this bizarre interference.
“Wait.” Poison whispered to his brother, holding up a hand to stall him as his light brown eyes remained locked on Iris and Rouge. Something about this scene was hitting too close to home for him. It made him think of his husband, tucked away back at home along with their beautiful children. It made him think of all the times he could’ve lost him too…
Lowering his shotgun the rest of the way, Kobra let his brother have his way and observed alongside him at the Emmy-winning scene in silence.
Suddenly, Rouge's eyes fluttered open to gaze up at his weeping lover who he thought was the most beautiful man he’d ever seen when they first met. It had been love at first sight for him. He smiled lovingly up at the hulking man, oblivious to the trickle of blood seeping out of the corner of his mouth. “Iris…”
Iris's eyes shoot up to Rouge’s face, his orbs wide as his crying is quickly suppressed only to be replaced with him hyperventilating. Gently cupping the side of his pale lover’s face, he whimpered out a plea, his heart knowing that Rouge was dying before him. “B-Baby…don-”
“I love you…Iris…I’ve always had…and always will…” Rouge whispered so softly it was almost inaudible before going limp in Iris’s arms. His eyes remained open on him as his life wilted from his eyes.
“Rouge!” Iris called his lover, his hold tightening painstakingly on the boy as if it would somehow be able to keep his soul from vacating his body. When his pink-haired angel didn’t answer, the larger man took to shaking him instead, praying that it would work to somehow bring him back. “ROUGE! ROUGE, COME ON! COME BACK TO ME!”
Rouge didn’t. He couldn’t. He was already gone.
Realizing that it was over, and Rouge was no more, Iris collapsed into wailing sobs, his large frame convulsing as he lowered his face down into his lover’s bright pink hair. His watermelon scent was still clinging to him, but instead of giving Iris solace, it only broke him even deeper and hurtled him into a state of fury because his lover was taken away from him forever. Gripping the side of Rouge’s head, Iris let out a roar into his clean hair. The sound encompassed his despair over the loss of his lover completely, impacting those who could hear, especially Poison.
The eldest Way brother stared at Iris and Rouge, but he wasn’t truly seeing them. He saw himself on the ground sobbing with Frank dead in his arms. It sent an intense pain to his heart, stealing his breath away as moisture gathered in pools in his eyes behind the cover of his Killjoy mask.
Rising slowly to his feet, Iris turned to face both of the Way brothers, his hands fisted at his side as he glared through bloodshot eyes at them, his cheeks drenched in his own tears. They were responsible for Rouge’s death. They had stolen him from him and continued to breathe air that his lover should be breathing. It wasn’t right! They shouldn’t be allowed to live another minute after the murder they just committed. “You…YOU KILLED HIM!”
Once again hindering Kobra from taking action, Poison pushed him behind him and addressed Iris one-on-one. He didn’t want this man to target his brother. Even though this mission was plotted by both of them, he wasn’t gonna allow Kobra to take the fall when it was he who delivered the killing blow to Rouge. “No, he didn’t do anything! It’s me you want! That’s my blade embedded into Rouge’s chest!”
Kobra truthfully didn’t get why it mattered who slew Rouge when he and his brother were here to kill them all! Everyone was a personal vendetta for them, literally every single body within the farmhouse was their target, but Poison seemed to feel like Iris had to be his and his alone. If they had more time and everyone was already dead, he might have demanded an answer for this odd interlude. But alas, the night was not over and there were more targets out there to annihilate. Shrugging it off, Kobra stepped back to let the two fight it out on their own. “Fine. I’ll go find my own kills then.”
With his weapon still locked on his target, Kobra gradually walked over to Iris who tried to scoot back from him on one arm as he cradled his other wounded arm to his chest. Glaring heatedly down at another one of his best pupils, Kobra hollered out to his brother a command that was also his way of checking in on him. “POISON! Get your ass back up here, NOW!”
Kobra received no answer. He didn’t let it exhibit on his face, but he was growing scared for his brother.
“IRIS! NO!” A horrific male voice screamed from over Kobra’s shoulder, making the former leader freeze in his stance as delicate footsteps came charging up behind him.
Iris’s eyes glanced past Kobra’s shoulder to see his literal heart running forward from the open doorway of their dim bedroom. He’d forgotten all about him through the searing pain radiating from his arm, and now that he was physically seeing his pink-haired lover, he wished he’d kept pushing for the slender boy to climb out the window on the makeshift ladder of sheets to flee the shootout coming from downstairs, but the boy wouldn’t hear of it. He wouldn’t leave Iris behind even if that meant certain death. As touching as it was, Iris really wanted Rouge far away from the danger coming up the stairs, but he had been too late.
Time had run out, and the shooters had been blasting their way up the stairs!
Having no choice, Iris had to somehow thwart the unidentified shooters. Grabbing Rouge and shoving him into the closet to hide, he exited the room to get the jump on the enemies only to find out it was two old Killjoy members taking their vengeance!
Rouge was supposed to stay hidden in their bedroom. He was supposed to stay in their goddamn bedroom! But he hadn’t, and Iris should’ve known he wouldn’t.
Iris’s heart stopped the moment he saw Kobra’s head turn in the direction of a teary-eyed Rouge who was running at him with a kitchen knife in his hand to save him. Turning pale that he only had a knife to this gunfight, Iris threw out his hand towards his lover to try and stop him from getting killed, screaming. “NO, DON’T!”
Poison, who had made it back up the stairs like he hadn’t just been brutally chucked halfway down it, whipped out one of his beloved bowie knives to send it flying directly at Rouge just in time to save his brother, lodging it straight into the boy’s fast-beating heart.
“NOOOOO!” Iris wailed in a loud bloodcurdling boom that seemed to deafen the drama and violence encircling him. It froze both of the Way brothers who had been on an ongoing killing spree since the moment they entered the deserted property unnoticed and under the cloak of darkness.
The force of the blade making contact with Rouge's body stopped him in his steps, cutting off his scream and making him sway on his feet as he slowly glanced down at the protruding knife sticking out of his chest. It registered then why he was feeling so weak and out of breath all of a sudden. As he lifted his eyes back up to his lover, Iris, he only managed to whisper his name. “I-Iris…”
Witnessing his lover’s eyes begin to flutter shut before he collapsed into a heap on the floor was a nightmare Iris never thought he’d ever live to see. Choking on his own breath because his Rouge could be dying right now and needing him, Iris scrambled to his feet to charge past Kobra not giving a damn if his life was next.
Throwing himself onto the ground beside Rouge, Iris tenderly gathered the more slender and petite boy in his arm, his heart breaking into irreparable pieces at how limp he was. He began to howl, his large hand shakily hovering over Poison’s blade nestled in his lover’s chest. He didn’t know what to do, to remove it or let it remain, and so he rocked Rouge in his arms and sobbed to him. “R-Rouge, baby, please! Hang on, I-I’m here! I’m not going anywhere so don’t you go l-leaving me behind!”
Not giving a damn at the sappy love story Iris and Rouge created amid the Killjoy family, Kobra aimed his gun to end Romeo and his Juliet for good. He was prevented however by his brother quickly rounding the newel post to grasp the barrel of his shotgun and lowering it away from the couple. Taken aback by his brother because he wasn’t the ‘sparing’ type, Kobra gave him a questioning look, awaiting an answer to this bizarre interference.
“Wait.” Poison whispered to his brother, holding up a hand to stall him as his light brown eyes remained locked on Iris and Rouge. Something about this scene was hitting too close to home for him. It made him think of his husband, tucked away back at home along with their beautiful children. It made him think of all the times he could’ve lost him too…
Lowering his shotgun the rest of the way, Kobra let his brother have his way and observed alongside him at the Emmy-winning scene in silence.
Suddenly, Rouge's eyes fluttered open to gaze up at his weeping lover who he thought was the most beautiful man he’d ever seen when they first met. It had been love at first sight for him. He smiled lovingly up at the hulking man, oblivious to the trickle of blood seeping out of the corner of his mouth. “Iris…”
Iris's eyes shoot up to Rouge’s face, his orbs wide as his crying is quickly suppressed only to be replaced with him hyperventilating. Gently cupping the side of his pale lover’s face, he whimpered out a plea, his heart knowing that Rouge was dying before him. “B-Baby…don-”
“I love you…Iris…I’ve always had…and always will…” Rouge whispered so softly it was almost inaudible before going limp in Iris’s arms. His eyes remained open on him as his life wilted from his eyes.
“Rouge!” Iris called his lover, his hold tightening painstakingly on the boy as if it would somehow be able to keep his soul from vacating his body. When his pink-haired angel didn’t answer, the larger man took to shaking him instead, praying that it would work to somehow bring him back. “ROUGE! ROUGE, COME ON! COME BACK TO ME!”
Rouge didn’t. He couldn’t. He was already gone.
Realizing that it was over, and Rouge was no more, Iris collapsed into wailing sobs, his large frame convulsing as he lowered his face down into his lover’s bright pink hair. His watermelon scent was still clinging to him, but instead of giving Iris solace, it only broke him even deeper and hurtled him into a state of fury because his lover was taken away from him forever. Gripping the side of Rouge’s head, Iris let out a roar into his clean hair. The sound encompassed his despair over the loss of his lover completely, impacting those who could hear, especially Poison.
The eldest Way brother stared at Iris and Rouge, but he wasn’t truly seeing them. He saw himself on the ground sobbing with Frank dead in his arms. It sent an intense pain to his heart, stealing his breath away as moisture gathered in pools in his eyes behind the cover of his Killjoy mask.
Rising slowly to his feet, Iris turned to face both of the Way brothers, his hands fisted at his side as he glared through bloodshot eyes at them, his cheeks drenched in his own tears. They were responsible for Rouge’s death. They had stolen him from him and continued to breathe air that his lover should be breathing. It wasn’t right! They shouldn’t be allowed to live another minute after the murder they just committed. “You…YOU KILLED HIM!”
Once again hindering Kobra from taking action, Poison pushed him behind him and addressed Iris one-on-one. He didn’t want this man to target his brother. Even though this mission was plotted by both of them, he wasn’t gonna allow Kobra to take the fall when it was he who delivered the killing blow to Rouge. “No, he didn’t do anything! It’s me you want! That’s my blade embedded into Rouge’s chest!”
Kobra truthfully didn’t get why it mattered who slew Rouge when he and his brother were here to kill them all! Everyone was a personal vendetta for them, literally every single body within the farmhouse was their target, but Poison seemed to feel like Iris had to be his and his alone. If they had more time and everyone was already dead, he might have demanded an answer for this odd interlude. But alas, the night was not over and there were more targets out there to annihilate. Shrugging it off, Kobra stepped back to let the two fight it out on their own. “Fine. I’ll go find my own kills then.”