BOOOOOMM!!!

Comming too I could taste blood in my mouth. Instinctively I spat it out, the amount shocking me. It didn't take me long to figure out why, my throat was all but crushed by Carnie. It's not severe enough to use a vial so I'll just have to deal with it. Now that my nap is over, I'll keep him locked away. My part in this fight is done....... what the hell is this?

BOOOOOMM!!! BOOOOOMM!!! BOOOOOMM!!! BOOOOOMM!!!

I thought the area looked bad before but now it looked like a biblical representation of 'scorched earth.'

BOOOOOMM!!! BOOOOOMM!!!

Picking myself up I looked for my chain but had no luck. Well, I guess I'll go check out whatever is causing all that commotion. Making my way back into the hall I had originally come from. It used to lead back deep into the facility, but now it was just a short tunnel to an almost arena-looking area that was formed out of the collapsing and/or utter destruction of the facility.

In this 'arena' two powerful beasts fought. The two girls fought without a strand of cloth remaining on their bodies for obvious reasons. No clothes, even the facilities reinforced ones, could withstand the effects of the blows thrown in this battle let alone any that connected.

"Pss, Tom. Over here."

That voice! Running over I found Wayne and slammed my head into his. With my hand on the back of his head, he couldn't pull back and his face winced in pain but I held eye contact. "Hhhhhhhhhhh...." The pain sprouted from my throat and shot down my spine. Placing my hand on my throat I put pressure to try and help me speak, "Aaaaalriiigt?" The blood began to pour down my throat from the pressure and my trying to force words pushed it out my mouth. It ran through my gritted teeth.

"Why is everyone half-naked?" Wayne jumped at the sight of my blood, "What, don't try and talk if you're just going to bleed! Holy! What happened to your throat? Wait! Don't answer any of those questions! Yes, I'm alright, Red found me and kept me safe. You, you just shut the fuck up."

Ha, I don't think I've ever heard him say that. Glad to know he's safe.

"If you have any of those vials left you better get one ready."

I look towards him suspiciously while feeling in my pocket, only one left.

"Look at Red, she's not doing so good. I can only tell when she stops for a second but even I can tell how much damage she's taken."

Focusing on her time slowed and I saw her body was riddled with cuts and gashes. I looked back to Wayne asking for an explanation why with my eyes.

"I don't know for sure, but Red already seemed pretty tired when she found me. If I had to guess, that's why she's been having to go blow for blow with Carnie instead of just overpowering her. She might be running out of strength."

Fuck, I'll have to help her-SMASH!!

Before I could stand up my head was slammed into the partial wall we were hiding behind.

"What are you-"

"Shut up Wayne! This is between me and him." "I know I didn't nock you out fucker, so you better listen."

Jason? I thought?

He hit me in the gut, folding my weakened body. "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO VERONICA!"

No, she's alive! I can show you-hhhhhhh

He folded me in half again. "I KNOW, I found her!"

Oh, shit.

"So you want to explain to me why she looks like she's been opened up and drained like a FUCKING ANIMAL?"

I had to, I'm sorry.

He swung again but this time I caught it before it made contact.

Just like if you try to hit me again, no matter how justified, I'm going to have to....shit!

He overpowered me and threw me to the ground, getting on top of me. With my arms pinned I was at his mercy, and he had none.

Boom! Crack! Thump!

He punched me, elbowed me, dropped his fists down like a hammer, and choked me. Rolling my head side to side with the punches I tried to minimize the damage but with the ground behind my head, I couldn't do much. The rain of fist tried to take my consciousness but I held on.

DEATH.

That was the feeling I had, absolute, unhindered death. Jason must have felt it too because he stopped hitting me. Even the sounds of Carnie's and Red's battle stopped.

"Jason, get off him."

We both looked over to Wayne, he was starting to turn pitch black. No, not black, darker, as if the light was disappearing from around him.

"What a fucking bluff, if you do anything you'll kill him and everyone here. You won't do shit!" The fists came down faster than before. My eyes dyed red from blood, my face swelling I tried not to suffocate. It was already hard to breathe before but now I had a large man sitting on my chest.

I could hear some of Wayne's words in between the pounding from the blows, "Stop!....... I....... I STOP!.........NOOO!"

---INEVITABLE DEMISE---

The punches stopped and fear ran through my body. I peered through my swollen eyes to see nothing but darkness where Wayne was. A single word was spoken, "RUN."

Jason fell off of me, crawling backward before turning and running.

I don't understand. "Wwwhyy?"

The black mass leaned over me and tears hit my face. "I... can't control."

Carnie's body flew past us, her claws slashing at about where his throat would be. Surprised, I looked at her, she was staring at the now empty space where her arm used to be.

Wayne's voice quivered, "I'm sorry guys, I'm so sorry. It's happening all over again! I'm going to lose everyone again!"

Before I knew it the black mass vanished from in front of my eyes, the space was now occupied by a one-armed Red, everything below her right bicep was gone. "Gahhh, FUCK! Well, I was kinda right." She spoke as she too stared at where her arm used to be, "My ability did protect me, for a second. That's promising!" She smiled As she looked at me. I could see the end of her stump tighten, she must have been using her ability to stop the bleeding.

No,no,no,no! This can't be happening! This isn't going to happen!

I fumble for the vial in my pocket but she stood up. Grabbing Carnie she dragged her over to me and hugged us both together with her one arm. Looking behind her back I stared at the black mass that had been thrown a few dozen feet away from us.

She whispered into our ears, "I love you both, and I'll die for you if I have to." She spun her back now facing us and her one arm pointing in Wayne's direction. "Grab me NOW!" Both Carnie and I had our hands on her back before we knew it.

I wanted to argue with her and beat the shit out of her for saying something like that, but with the way she asked, I couldn't refuse her order. She was scared.

The darkness overtook everything, expanding towards us in less than a second. I watched as it overtook Red's legs, arm, and then her and my hand. When I couldn't see her anymore I released my perception and everything went black.