This is not happening. This cannot be happening, Kitten wouldn't do this. Calen wouldn't do this either, and Falcon... Falcon would. I groan and drop my face into my hands. I'm four hours late for my meeting with Crossword, and they thought we were pushing the time limit already. Did Falcon want me to get in trouble with the Hunters? Or did he want to keep me here bad enough to resort to desperate measures?
I rub my hands roughly over my face as I will myself to wake up. Assuming he didn't do this out of ill intent, what would he do? Get backup from Hero friends? Face Crossword alone?
I let out a breath and stand up. No matter what he did, he wouldn't want to risk this city, which means he would take the fight somewhere else. Probably to the Hunter Crossword was talking about, the Elder. So he must have at least gotten directions from Crossword. I doubt Falcon would have taken Crossword with him, they'd only end up being one more Hunter to fight.
Which begs the question, where would Falcon leave him?
***
Amelia's eyebrows shoot up when she opens her door, and she quickly waves me in. "You're not with them?" She demands, sounding incredulous and a bit angry. "How could you let him do this without you? They'll probably kill him after they're finished with the Hunters!"
I stare at her for a moment, and before I can open my mouth to ask what she's talking about I hear little feet running toward us. "Ami!" Elli squeals, wrapping her arms around Amelia's legs. "They woke up!"
Amelia runs a hand over Elli's hair, giving me a considering look, then holding my gaze. After a moment, her entire expression softens. "Oh, I see. Falcon didn't tell you, did he?"
I shake my head and follow her as she starts walking. "Well, you're in luck. Falcon came by a few hours ago and dropped off Crossword for... safekeeping."
I only hum, unable to think about anything but finding my Hero. She gestures to a door and I step through, seeing Crossword tied to a chair, their hands thoroughly wrapped and thus unable to trace anything into the air. Crossword huffs when they see me, looking annoyed. "This is your fault, Fireboy," they grumble.
I don't comment, stalking forward until I'm right in front of them. The door closes behind me, but I don't bother to check if Amelia stayed. I grip the back of the chair in one hand, pushing until it's balancing on two legs and Crossword's eyes are slightly wider. "Where is he?" I growl, my tone low and threatening.
Crossword's lips thin, then they bare their teeth at me in a smile. "Untie me and I'll tell you."
I let the chair slam back onto all four legs as I straighten. "You'll tell me anyway," I snarl, flames bursting into life on my hands.
Crossword's smile turns sickly sweet. "I'm sure I will, but I'm also sure it would take longer, and I don't think you want that. Do you?" They blink up at me, smile morphing into a smirk as I clench my fists. They're right, though I hate to admit it.
Glaring, I will my flames to burn through their bindings, and a second later Crossword is standing. I left the wrappings on their hands alone, because I don't fancy another fight with them, and certainly not in Amelia's home.
I fist the back of their jacket and jerk them towards the door, ignoring their stumbling and muffled protests. I march them through the house and out the front door, then shoot into the air. Crossword grabs my arm as best they can, looking a bit nauseous as I fly us to the top of the nearest tall building. I shove them to the roof before I've even fully landed, and they scramble to their feet, looking very annoyed. Crossword rubs at their wrists, and I notice scratch marks ringing them jaggedly. My gaze flicks to their neck, where there's a line of four puncture marks, like claws.
Crossword notices my gaze and makes a face. "Your little Hero is mean when he's determined."
I ignore the flare of something like pride that wells up in me. "Where is he?"
Crossword gazes at me for a moment, then sighs. "I guess telling you won't matter now, I'm already dead if your boyfriend loses. The Elders will know it was me who told him where to find them. Five of them were gathering for a meeting in Quill City yesterday, and likely they're still there. And before you say it, no, I'm not gonna try to follow you there. I'm gonna get as far away as I can," Crossword sighs again, sounding rather tired.
Without another word I leap off the roof, but as much as it pains me I don't turn straight to Quill city. Instead, I speed toward the Guild. I need weapons, lots of them, and it's the best place to get them.
Except that when I arrive the cupboards are completely, utterly, hopelessly bare. I slam them shut hard enough to shake the walls, my hands scorching dark imprints into the wood everywhere I touch. I sink into a crouch, holding my head in my trembling hands. Okay, so Falcon is gone and so are all the Guild members with their weapons. Could he have recruited them?
My mind flashes back to what Amelia said, and it makes perfect sense now. "They'll probably kill him after they're finished with the Hunters!" She had said.
I groan and rise to my feet, more determined than ever. I'm going to make it in time.
I have to make it in time.
***
I don't make it in time.
I can see the battle from a mile away, the open fields surrounding Quill City dotted with fighters, the dark backdrop of the sharp, spiked buildings showing the separate battle going on in the air. The five Elders must have called in backup, because there are easily a hundred Hunters, and at least that many Heroes and Villains. They're certainly not all from our city, so our side must have called in backup too.
I speed closer, and as soon as I'm within range I start hurling fireballs at any Hunters I see. Most of them have the insignia boldly displayed on their suits, but there are other ways to tell them apart as I burn a path through them, frantically searching for Falcon. But there's no sign of his distinct wings stirring up chaos in the air, which means he must be on the ground.
I fight my way through three Hunters before I touch down, my hands alight with flame as we trade blows, the heat radiating from my skin drying their eyes and driving them back.
The grass wilts when I land, leaves quickly turning brown and shriveling, even blackening when I stay in the same spot for more than a few seconds.
An icy knife flashes toward my face, but I don't bother to dodge it, knowing it will melt before it ever touches me. I'm overheating severely, yet I can't bring myself to care. In fact, I welcome it. I would burn down this whole battleground if I didn't know my Calen was here somewhere, possibly injured considering he's not in the air where he usually fights.
I search for him frantically, but it seems like everywhere I turn and every direction I run, there's someone blocking my path with a menacing glint in their eyes. I burn through them all as I make my way to the center of the fighting, leaving a trail of scorched grass behind me.
The air is smoky, clouds of various colored smoke swirling into a haze that settles over the whole field, columns of smoke swirling as high as the spires of Quill City. Frustrated, I take to the sky again to try and find Calen, hovering low enough that those fighting higher up don't bother with me, but just out of reach of the fighters below. Finally I spot him, and almost have a heart attack.
There's a worrying amount of blood covering him, but as I draw closer it becomes apparent that it's not his. His ears sit atop his fluffy hair, somewhat matted with blood and sweat, and his tail swishes behind him freely as he slashes at any who dare approach him. His claws are longer than I've ever seen them, a good three or four inches long, and they look as sharp as the Hero Razor's sword.
I land as close to him as I dare, and set to work clearing the area around us. I see the moment he notices me, his moves faltering for a split second before he begins slashing again with a vengeance. It takes me a while to realize it's raining, because none of the droplets can hit me, but a gray darkness has settled over the field, the rain dissipating the smoke somewhat.
Finally, finally the path to Calen is clear, and I start toward him briskly. He turns toward me once I'm within ten feet, a tired smile lighting up his face, which I now see has a small bloody cut along his right cheekbone. I hope whoever caused it is dead.
He starts to reach a hand out toward me, and I start to reach toward him, only for the entire world to shatter before my eyes.
A figure materializes out of thin air behind him, and I've barely seen the flash of a blade before it's too late. Calen gasps, eyes going wide as he looks to the tip of the knife sticking out of his chest, right where his heart is.
The figure disappears again, taking the knife with them.
Calen collapses, lifelessly, to the ground.
I explode.