Nostalgic Fester
hinia
twocents
MandarkIt always started and ended with her.
They were so interconnected that they never needed to speak -- though they did, often, in wonderful, laughter-filled conversations. Every one of those conversations overwhelmed him now in a flash.
How had he failed her like this?
He should have known when the attack happened. He reminded himself of that every time the nasty thought of "Well, why didn't she..." crept into his head. He was her best friend. He should have known.
But feeling sorry for himself now wouldn't help her. She might be the Ranger, the strength, but he had his own power to help too.
The scene reeled through his mind like a movie: the disheveled bed, the dents in the wall, and the knocked over furniture. She had been stolen while she slept, but despite the surprise of the attack, he knew that she fought fiercely for her freedom. He sniffed, indulging in a bit of snobbery, but frankly, the DVDF Alliance was always so inelegant.
Hold on, Nina. I'm coming.
She would know that without hesitation, but it comforted him to mentally convey the message anyway as he raced toward her as calmly as he could manage.
When the building that housed the Alliance came into view, his steps became more frantic and heavy handed. Perhaps, today, he was being a bit inelegant himself.
But he could feel her. There was something that was so distinct in the air where Nina was, he knew they were keeping her here. But why?
He slipped in through an unlocked side door -- really, now, they were just getting downright unprofessional! -- and slid silently through the halls. Calmly. He needed to remain calm, for both his sake and Nina's.
The halls were strangely empty, but it let other sounds echo around. He followed the direction the sounds seemed to be emanating from, and he came to a balcony that overlooked a small theater, where Willy seemed to be walking in on a speech.
"...And today," the speaker boomed, "we have his despicable killer."
Oh, yeah. Don J Durandal was an officer in the Alliance. That's what this was over. Petty payback?
He bared his teeth, half torn between amusement and anger. Don J Durandal was prey, and the rest of his precious Alliance was the same to Willy. Prey.
Recklessly, Willy leapt out of the balcony, straight into the crowd. The element of surprise allowed him to put his skills to work right away. Even a mediocre fighter could turn the tide, and Willy was among the best.
A surprised spell tore past his head -- the Alliance would have to do better than that! -- and ripped through the rope holding Nina Sneak suspended from the ceiling. A Nina Sneak who has been faking unconsciousness.
She took his place next to his side, and he and Nina stepped together.
One heart, one mind in battle and in life.
