6Warning: Themes of religion (false or otherwise), death, love, sexual situations, mental or physical illness, violence, rape, suicide, and anything deemed debatable or offensive may be present in this fictional story. Proceed at your own discretion.
AN: Please enjoy ^_^
Status: Somewhat edited - I also noticed that where the ellipses should exist, is a single period. Just so you all don't think I'm an lazy idiot who can't add another few dots -_-
With Flightless Wings
Chapter 02: Crimson
The air did not smell of sand and sea when she came to her senses, her brown eyes fluttering with effort. She took a moment to blankly stare up into the sky, becoming aware that she was not on the sandy shores of her home; instead of gritty sand that surrounded and existed strongly beneath her still form, the green of grass bent under the pressure of her weight. The distinct smell of wildflowers fragranced the air which she took in with long breaths, as she absorbed her new surroundings.
Slowly, she braced her weight upon wobbly elbows, before up righting herself onto her palms. Another moment passed as she stared out into the endless sea of grass, taking note of the brilliant display of flowers, randomly flourishing at every spot. Not a cloud was present in the midday sky, with only the shadow of noon falling upon her.
The first thing she noticed upon trying to stand was the intense pain she felt spreading through her body. It emerged from the area between her shoulders, blossoming outward at a terrifying pace. The surprise she felt upon falling to her knees was nothing in comparison to the sudden betrayal she felt, an unknowing hatred welling inside of her. The urge to scream into the sky was unmistakable, twisting her face into a dark mask. The wind picked up then, sending obsidian locks of hair to splay in every direction, obscuring her dangerous features. The howl of the wind did nothing to drone out the sound of her desperate cry.
And then all at once, she was calm again. Her eyes lost the light that was specifically hers, and what shone through the dreary depths was something eerie, and cold. A vow was made then in her mind, locked away in the recesses of a dark, distant memory.
*You've stolen my life. my paradise. from me.* A bitter smile stretched thinly upon her cracking lips, as she stared into the sky. Her eyes searched the never-ending space above her for an instant, before she turned in one direction and began to walk. The steps she took crushed the wildflowers beneath her, and the surrounding areas began to wilt and decay.
The sky darkened that day, and for the first time, the earth was flooded with rain and grief.
~**~**~**~
It was even more difficult for her to get up the second time. With hazy eyes she blinked away the sleep that weighed heavily upon her, forcing her vision to clear. A hand that was not hers pushed a damp lock of hair away from her face, causing her to blink in shock.
It was then that she could feel a set of concerned gray eyes on her face, searching for any sign of pain. She turned her face more fully to meet the stranger's, holding her breath, wonder clearly in her eyes. It was difficult to hold his gaze at first, until she realized it was he who was captivating hers.
". Did I collapse again?" Haley asked quietly, eyes unblinking. A single nod was all he needed before moving away to cross the sparsely furnished room. It took only a moment for Haley to register the area as some sort of medical facility, as she took in the cleanliness of the furniture and the bland colors.
"I took you to the nearest clinic, since you didn't seem to be responding too well to my calls." He glanced over at her with wary eyes. "And you said 'again'. is this some sort of frequent habit or something?" Strong hands fell upon a window sill, and grasped the edge near the glass pane. A slight pull upward sent a chilly, but refreshing breeze into the stagnant room. She took in a deep breath, closing her eyes, and wishing to feel nothing but the cool breeze that washed over her in waves. Another ache was beginning to grow, but she pushed it away in favor of his queries.
"What is your name?" she asked, glancing over at him. The look upon her face warned that for now, he should acquiesce with her obvious avoidance.
"It's Colin," he replied after considering her for a moment. "Colin Smith."
"Colin." she repeated softly, allowing her gaze to fall to the tiled floor. She closed her eyes briefly before looking up to meet his in a sincere gesture. It seemed as if she had a complicated time composing her thoughts together. ". Thank you," she finished simply, nodding her head slightly. The way in which her gratitude struck Colin has funny. He felt the corners of his lips lift slightly, quirking into a cross before a smile and a smirk. It was all Colin could do from breaking out into a grin with the level of difficulty she had in uttering those simple words. Already, he could tell she had a proud streak within her.
Before either could say anything more, the door flew open. A pair of amethyst eyes took in the scene before him as he paused in the doorway of the room. The way in which he gripped the handle on the door and ridge pose of his shoulders was enough indication that he was very tense.
"Haley - " he breathed. The relief in his tone was apparent as he crossed the room to her bed, taking quick strides. Although it looked as if he were about to pull her into an all-consuming embrace, Haley blinked in surprise as he lifted a hand and calmly connect it with the back of her head. Colin made a step to move forward until he realized the newcomer was in the middle of chiding the girl, as if she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
"Just what did I tell you about going off like that?" A set of amethyst eyes glared down at the patient, before he decided to launch himself into a very uncomfortable-looking chair. He took an instant to readjust his position, before continuing on. "You just took off before I could catch up with you after the meeting and then I call your cell to find that you're with some other guy and I thought we were suppose to work on setting up another meeting with the resource management?" he let out in one short breath. Although he sounded as if he was only concerned with the earlier events of the day, the way in which he spoke revealed a definite edge. Haley took notice of the way her new partner had also positioned his body, with the third party member in the corner of his watchful eye.
". Don't worry about it Riot - "
"Maxwell, if you please." She rolled her eyes, and resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at her colleague. Only he could bring the inner child out of her. Instead, she settled for throwing an extra pillow in his face with a little more force that necessary. A yelp of surprise - and perhaps a little pain - emerged from the energetic male.
"Haley Paige Grey!" he spat out, a little red in his eye. "This is how you treat a friend after he rushes to your side when - " The look she gave him made Maxwell pause mid-sentence. "What?"
". How did you know I was here?" *Hell, I barely even knew I was here.* It took a moment for her words to register in his mind.
"Oh, that." The amethyst-eyed youth spared a glance at the stranger who waited patiently by the window. Maxwell took note of how attentively he was watching the scene unfold before him with quiet curiosity. "Like I was saying, " he began, annoyance clearly present on his features, "Before someone kindly decided to interrupt and throw over-stuffed pillows in my face. " He gazed pointedly at her, before continuing, "I decided to give your house a call before leaving the office today. When I got your machine, I tried your cell and, well, you didn't pick up." Maxwell took a moment to jerk at thumb in the direction of the window. "This guy here was the one to answer my call, saying that he'd 'taken you someplace' so of course, with such an ominous way of putting things, I began to flip out a little."
A fine eyebrow quirked toward the heavens.
"What? How else am I supposed to take 'She unconscious right now, and we're at the clinic outside of town' from some guy that wouldn't even give me his name? I don't know about you," he swung his gaze from her savior to the owner with a set of brown eyes, "but when I hear someone other than whoever it is I'm trying to call pick up their phone and deliver that kind of message, I tend to get a little nervous." That was where his voice began to falter.
"You're not giving me the full story," Haley stated after a moment, when the silence grew heavy. Colin blinked in surprise, straightening his posture a little. Things were beginning to sound a little more interesting.
"Yes I did." She threw him a withering glare. ". No I didn't."
"Spill," Haley commanded, crossing her arms in an effort to appear less- than-diminutive. It didn't have quite the effect she was going for, but it worked to her advantage. "You said you gave me a call before leaving the office today. Hasn't it been a couple hours in between now and then? It only takes a moment for a phone call, and it's well into the night by now." She solidified her statement by allowing her eyes to flicker again near the window. "Either you have serious issues with making phone calls, or you, for one reason or another, were staying well past office hours," *assuming that you weren't lying at that part* she finished to herself. Her cool, efficient eyes met with Maxwell's uneasy pair.
". It's got something to do with the new file," he confessed after a time, bringing attention to the shoulder bag at his side. He shifted his body so that his back, more or less, hid his expression from the boy by the window. "I wanted you to take a look at something I had been researching after everyone else had left the office. " The look she gave him prodded her colleague to sputter, "You know, getting ahead of the ball and all." Haley nodded in understanding, but the subtle change in her eyes divulged something different to Maxwell.
"We can talk about this more. at a later time." She knew secrecy when it crept into the room, and right then she decided that secrecy was definitely approaching. A slender hand reached up to push back the hair that fell in front of her face. "Anything else?" Her partner seemed to fidget for a moment.
"Well I obviously wanted to make sure you were okay and not lying somewhere in a ditch courtesy of would-be psycho-boy here." Maxwell cast another side-long glance at the silent observer, and smiled cheekily. "Sorry about that - I really didn't mean it. You just really freaked me out back there."
"No offense taken," came the accepting reply. There was even a hint of humor behind the tenor of his voice, and a friendliness Haley couldn't ignore. She rewarded the pair of men with a smile, and settled more deeply into the pillows which she had managed to prop up behind her during the course of her consciousness.
A sudden thought occurred to her.
"Colin?" The boy in question met her gaze in response. "Where is Tundra?" Colin shifted from his place by the window, and glanced out past the clear glass pane.
"He's waiting in the jeep." Colin hesitated before leaving his spot, and approached the injured girl. He dared a glance at her colleague, before slipping a sheet of paper onto the table beside her. "There's my information if you ever want to. see me again. I hope you feel better the next time we talk." He flashed her with another warm smile before exiting the room, leaving Haley feeling more than a little disoriented.
A moment of deep silence ensued before Maxwell commented, "Well, that was. different." Haley could only toss another pillow in the vicinity of his open mouth to muffle the rude comments that were bound to tumble forth. A snort escaped from him regardless. "Playing damsel in distress on the beach again?" The roll of her eyes only spurred him further. "Haley, my dear, if you want to spend a little quality time with someone, you know I'm just a twenty and a phone call away."
". So you admit to prostituting yourself?"
A flabbergasted squawk was all he could muster.
~**~**~**~
Upon arriving at his vehicle, Colin noticed Tundra wasn't the only one waiting for him. He carefully considered the young man before him as he approached the jeep, subtly slowing his pace. During the time he took to shorten his strides and adjust his shoulders, Colin's eyes cooled from their warm shade of gray, to a more standoffish color. He noted with faint amusement that a set of forest green eyes did the same.
"What are you doing here?" Colin inquired, his tone suggesting more of a statement than a question. He opened the passenger's door and slid inside the empty seat. Again, he wondered where his half-brother had gotten the other set of keys, as he had already started up the engine and was swiftly exiting the parking lot. "I thought you were supposed to be out of town."
"I was," came a curt reply. The way his slightly darker fingers curled around the steering wheel was enough indication that things on his end had not gone well. Colin waited with something akin to patience, knowing his brother was a man of few, but important words.
"Riley. " he prodded when an explanation did not issue forth. "What the happened?"
He blinked once upon hearing his name, before moving his hand to shift gears. With slow admission, he replied, ". There was a leak." For the first time since Colin had met his brother that day, Colin saw a distinct emotion color his features. "Goddamn setup."
"No. " Colin gazed at his brother full on, disbelief apparent in his gray eyes. "There must be some kind of mistake - "
"No mistake about it brother," Riley interrupted, a hint of derision in his low voice. A flash of anger broke through his usually stoic eyes. "It was definitely a set up." A question rose up in Colin's throat, but he found himself unable to speak.
"How many - "
"Three." The finality in Riley's response crushed his brother's hopes, and a quiet settled over the pair like a frosty blanket of snow. The energy seemed to fade from the younger of the two, while the elder remain quiet. After a time, Colin asked another question, apprehension clearly showing in his features.
"What were their numbers?"
"Serial numbers 006, 010, and 011," he answered briskly. Colin allowed a subtle nod, his chestnut locks falling into his sight. In his mind's eye, he called the images of his deceased comrades, picking out their faces among the masses of people he knew. He had only wished things had turned out differently.
"What's the status on the objective?" Riley scoffed at this, and shifted another gear upon entering a freeway.
"Lost."
Colin blinked.
"What do you mean, 'lost'?" He turned an eye to his brother, and saw a sardonic expression flit across his features. Panic was beginning to set in his own heart. "I mean it Riley, what do you mean 'lost'? Either we have it or don't!"
"There was a city dweller present at the time of our betrayal." This statement caused Colin to restrain his voice, permitting the other to speak. A solicitous look crossed his features, before he spoke again. "It seems as though our suspicions, on both accounts, proved valid. The informant had a plan of double-crossing us from the beginning, and sold us out to some civilian from this area."
"How much does this civilian know?" A feeling akin to fear gripped Colin, leaving him breathless.
"Not all that much," Riley admitted, casually glancing into the review mirror. "But he's got what we're looking for in his possession. He just doesn't realize how important or significant it is to our success."
"So he's an innocent man that got wrapped up in someone else's betrayal," Colin concluded softly. "He's unaware of the fact he's being used?"
"I think he figured it out, to some extent." He paused, turning over the thoughts running unbridled in his mind. "There's no need to. confront him. just yet. But I believe him to be a reasonable man. He may give us what we need willingly." The pained look in Colin's features gave cause to a mental curse in Riley's mind.
"But... "
"Those involved are never innocent." The edge of finality in his voice gave Colin reason to fear his brother. Although he was not afraid for his own well-being, he felt saddened by the terrible burden placed upon his half brother's weary shoulders. It was Colin's way to never feel sorrow for himself, but for those around him. The same could be said of his other half.
The two, though usually never on the same ground, held a mutual understanding and respect for one another. Where one was brash and brutally blunt, the other had a way with words and used a sort of tact to placate any situation. Where one was friendly and forgiving, the other lived in the shadows of doubt and anger. It was hard to tell, other than the similar feeling one got when looking into their eyes, that both were bound by the blood of their mother, and their duty to destiny.
But destiny had never been kind from the very moment they graced the earth with their presence, and the road which they traveled upon was long and narrow. It was similar to the physical road in which they drove upon at that moment.
"They've been following us for some time now," Colin commented, stealing a glance into a side mirror. It appeared as if he had put the disturbing news of their betrayal at bay, in favor of their present situation. "Friends of yours?"
"Since when did I ever have friends." Green eyes flared in annoyance. A wet muzzle appeared out of no where, nudging the driver. "Damn dog," he muttered. He pushed a hand out, forcing the husky back a bit before quickly scratching the creature behind an ear. Tundra leaned into his touch, and a lazy look came over his features.
"How long have they been following us?" The desire to look back over his shoulder was strong, but Colin did not wish to run the risk of alerting their shadows of their awareness.
"The last few miles."
"Any suggestions?" Colin asked, after commanding Tundra to stay low. The husky complied, understanding in his ice blue eyes.
A cruel smile stretched upon his brother's lips, and it took all of Colin's training to keep from averting his gaze. "Give them what they deserve."
~**~**~**~
"You sure you're okay?" Purple eyes grew wary with every passing moment, as he watched the girl before him hobble along. They were just exiting the clinic the same night she was admitted, on the pretense that she was feeling completely fine. "You know, you could've stayed the night and then left whenever you were feeling - "
"I'm alright Maxwell," Haley insisted, slowing her pace a little. Perhaps it was not all that wise to go so quickly, so soon. "I need to get through that file tonight before heading in tomorrow - Willis is an understanding man, but I don't want to test his patience any further." Maxwell rolled his eyes, taking her gently by the elbow and pointing her in the correct direction.
"My car's this way - and I'm sure he will continue to understand," he persisted, in hopes of dissuading his partner. "I mean, if you're feeling up to it, we'll go over the file, and decide which course of action we should take tonight. We could always work on it after hours tomorrow." Risking another glance, he added, "I'm not sure you're really in the best condition to be stuck in a stuffy cubicle just yet." He threw her a lopsided grin, and released her elbow. A moment later, he had his arm lying casually over her shoulders, jostling her frame as he laughed. "I bet you were just looking for an excuse!" he joked. This time it was Haley who could not keep from rolling her eyes.
"Do we have everything here with us?" She made to gesture at his side bag, but failed when he threw it into the back seat of his car. With a smirk, he opened the passenger door and ushered her in.
"Now remember to buckle up now," he commanded sweetly, slamming the door shut before she could protest. He gained access to the driver's seat by circling the car and opening the door. After securing his safety belt, Maxwell sped through the empty parking lot, prepared for the drive back to Alyndra
"Why did you have to faint on the outskirts of the city..." Maxwell muttered, as he peered out onto the long span of road before them. "Couldn't have picked a better place to play damsel, could you? " He paused, fully bracing himself for the impact he knew would come. but never came. Taking his eyes off the road for a brief moment, he came to the conclusion she had fallen asleep; with the way her eyes were closed and the soft, slow breathing that could be heard coming out of her in little puffs, who could suggest otherwise. He chuckled a bit, before turning his attention back to the road.
"She's going to have one hell of an ache when she gets up... "
~**~**~**~
To the untrained eye, it looked as if Maxwell Riot had not a care in the world. Navigating the somewhat empty streets of Alyndra did not seem to a daunting task, but Maxwell kept his mask well in place; his amethyst eyes were too busy scanning the surrounding areas to notice the girl beside him stir in her restless slumber. Her cry of alarm was what shook him out of his state of patrol, and he spared another glance her sleeping form, aware of the apprehension that began to pulse throughout his entire being.
The first thing he noticed upon arriving on her street was the eerie atmosphere that seemed nearly intangible as he drove past the first home. He discerned that not an entire light on that street seemed operational, save for the flickering streetlamp on the other end of the bend. Not a single window was filled with light in any residential building on either side of the street, and there were no signs of activity to accompany the lack of illumination. Another chill made its way down his spine as Maxwell continued to shorten the distance between themselves and Haley's home.
Her single-story home appeared normal enough that night, with only a faint glow of moonlight to cast a shadow upon her freshly-cut lawn. It had rained earlier that day, Maxwell realized, when he took his first step outside of his vehicle. The splash in his step roused Haley from her nap, and she turned groggy eyes to her chauffer.
"Maxwell.?" she questioned sleepily, raising a hand to wipe away the last of her slumber. "What's with that look on your face?"
At the sound of her voice, his purple eyes spun to face her. The flash of worry in his eyes was hard to pick out in the dark of night, but Haley had seen it, only to be replaced by determination.
"Are your neighbors normally this quiet?" he queried, avoiding her question all together. The way his eyes were anywhere but on her face caused a knot to form in her stomach, and anxiety to mar her features. "And where are all the lights?"
"It is kind of dark out, now that you mention it," she muttered, taking a closer look at her surroundings. The small neighborhood seemed typical enough, if more quiet than usual. The familiarity she found in her environment did nothing to warm the icy grip her feelings had over her though. *What is this strange feeling that I can't shake?*
Suddenly, a loud commotion shattered the stillness in the air. The front door of her home was blown open, with two darkly-clad figures appearing before the startled pair.
"What the hell - " she heard Maxwell hiss as he moved to place himself between the figures and herself. A sheer strip of blinding white light engulfed the entire area for a moment, before a void-like hole launched itself at the pair. The attack made it difficult for her to breath, and as she closed her eyes one of her hands made its way to Maxwell's back, in reassurance that he was still there. The exhaustion she felt rolling off of him in waves caused a flare of energy to spark within her. However, instead of increasing her awareness, Haley felt as though the last of her will had been sapped from her limbs.
The pressure lightened, and soon the air felt like it normally did when it surrounded her; weightless and free. Haley's eyes fluttered open and she saw her friend gasping for breath, standing on unsteady feet.
"Maxwell?" she called, voice shaken from uncertainty. She made to look around her partner, but failed to do so when the instinct to protect her friend took over. With clumsy hands, Haley managed to heave herself out of the car through the open window, forcing Maxwell to the pavement. Not a moment later, the sound of steel rang clear through the air above her, sure to sever any thing in its path.
Tearing her eyes away from the ground, Haley looked up to see a third shadow had joined the first two. This time the moonlight seemed to be aiding her eyesight, for she could make out the faintest of features; soft black hair, tall, graceful stature, prominent jaw line set in a stern fashion; most remarkable of all where his startling blue eyes. The set of eyes in which she found herself fascinated with seemed to peer right into her soul, seeking for the answers in which she might have had. The cool demeanor in which he held himself caused Haley to tighten her muscles though, in an attempt to ready herself for whatever might come.
The manner in which Maxwell helped her upright, shielding her body with his own ignited a strong feeling of malice to develop within her. She had never appreciated being thrown into a position in which she needed protecting.
"Expecting company tonight Grey?" Maxwell asked softly, keeping his eyes trained on the figures before them. His grip on her shoulder tightened slightly, as he pushed his body closer to hers, taking note of the slender piece of metal held in their aggressor's grip. "They don't look all that welcoming if you ask me."
"I'm guessing now is not the time to be cracking jokes, Riot," she retorted through thin lips. The coldness in her stomach intensified with the man with the slender blade took a step forward. It took all the wits she had not to scoot back further, if the vehicle had not already been pressed against her back. Her eyes narrowed a bit, trying to discern what the figure had in his reach.
"A samurai's blade," the man explained, cutting off her train of thought. "Quite fitting, really, for the task I've been assigned to carry out." His voice struck out into the night, creating a colder wind to cut through the air. Neither Haley nor Maxwell uttered a word, waiting for the man to speak more. He paused in his assent, wielding the weapon with a skill that surely took years of training.
He regarded Haley with a critical eye, as if figuring out a riddle. She could feel him take in her image, noting the way her limbs were tightly coiled. A bitter laughed escaped him then, void of any warmth.
"Are you the one they call 'Haley', girl?" His intense gaze was directed at her, steely blue orbs engaging her brown. Haley could not find the strength to forms words, so she simply remained quiet, behind the frame of her protector.
Another moment passed, as her aggressor continued to take in her appearance.
"Perfect. " A bitter expression crossed his features, causing angry wrinkles to mar his face. "An exact replica. " *How long has it been since one this close came?* He shook his head, as if to free his memories of something that held him to the past.
The same wide brown eyes, full of innocence.
The same wide brown eyes full of deceit and betrayal.
He would carry out His will.
With a flick of his wrist, the man with blue eyes fixed his glare at the crouching pair.
"Any last words?" Another step was taken further, closing the distance between Haley and her assailant. An intense emotion fluttered through Haley, gripping her with fear.
*Why...* She choked on that thought, gripping the back of Maxwell's jacket. A flinch racked his body at her sudden pressure, but she could do nothing to retract her hand.
A moment ago, the man with blue eyes was advancing on them, across the space of her freshly-cut lawn. The next instant, he was no where to be seen.
It was nearly too late for Haley when the sound of steel cut through the air, creating a sort of shock to come over her. Fortunately for her, Maxwell wasn't caught unawares, pushing his charge away from the blade. Though the razor-sharp edge had merely nicked the surface of her skin, Haley snapped out of the trance that had dulled her senses and crouched low. Using her left hand she classified the critical state of the injury she had undergone, and was semi-relieved that only a thin trickle of blood had made its way to her coat.
"What do you want!" she finally cried, breaking the advance on her partner. She leveled a glare with deadly blue eyes, clutching her wound as she did so. The adrenaline pumping through her body was difficult to ignore, as she heard the steady drip of blood flow from her fresh wound.
"Ah, the angel finally speaks." His voice dripped with ironic sarcasm, as he spared a moment to glance at her. "Pitiful really. You really do resemble someone who was once worthy, long ago."
"You're riddles do not amuse me," she tersely retorted, gaining the strength to stand on both feet. Internally, she was cowering in fear, and searched for something strong to base her defiance on. "Tell me what it is you came for, or get the hell off my lawn." It was all she could do to keep the tremble from reaching her voice, and keep the eye contact from breaking. The pain from earlier that day was slowly ebbing away at her sanity, as she fought to keep the ground from falling out beneath her.
A bizarre expression crossed his ominous features, as if a new thought had just occurred to him. Anger replaced the look of confusion a moment later, as he snapped his wrist with his sword hand to free his blade of any blood.
"And you're deceit is quite enough." The lack of lighting caused a menacing shadow to fall between them, as he readied his blade. The stance in which he took triggered a memory Haley did not know she experienced, before her own eyes narrowed. Being lost in her thoughts and the opponent before her did nothing to ease her fear.
The next few moments exploded by her in a blur. When once she thought her footing was firm did she slip, tumbling to meet the ground beneath clumsy feet. A flash of white blinded her as she to ward off any blows that might result in her ineptness. She felt something slice into her forearm, before the sound of wind picked up and cut through air above her, knocking the blade from its true course. When she opened her eyes a moment later, she was covered in her own blood, a deadly shade of red running down her arm in rivulets. The distant memory of her dream came screaming to her mind, the pain flaring within her once more.
What she didn't notice was the fact that her aggressor had lost his weapon, stuck firmly in the ground, dozens of feet away in the other side of the lawn. So busy was she, frozen in the images of her mind that she didn't hear the horrified warning as a pair of hands clawed at her throat, threatening to cut off her air. All she was aware of were the rivers of blood which ran from her arm, and the incision in her shoulder, meeting together to create sickening pools of crimson.
*Meeting...* Her mind drifted, and suddenly, the pain was only a faint prickling in her senses. Her brown eyes slid shut as she lost all thought to reason, and all will to fight. The bright stars that sparked in her sight began to fade away, leaving only small punctures in the perfect black canvas of her mind. The last image she saw was of something that was beginning to claw out of the obsidian void, soft and white, reaching to enfold her within its walls of security and comfort.
She didn't hear the desperate call.
She didn't see the forsaken hand.
All she knew was the familiarity of being wanted, and Haley ran to keep it from waiting.