Bring The Heat

48. The Homestretch (GOJS ARC 19)

Mint, Ben, and Robin sped down the roads towards freedom. The night sky stood tall and endless above them, and for the first time, the stars seemed to be twinkling through the clouds like glitter.

Robin marveled at the spectacle, it being the only thing to tear her terrified, watchful gaze from the road behind her. She loved the stars - she sometimes felt like part of her was right up there with them.

And they were hard not to love, watching down on Jewel Street, no, the whole world, which made everything feel a little more ok. Time would always pass, and the stars would always be there nonetheless.

Ben watched them too, however he was more cautious to not be caught doing so. It was such a special sight, so unifying. He thought they were so beautiful - and to him, they were beacons of hope. The whole time he'd lived on Jewel Street, the rare appearances of the moon and the stars were the few moments he took for himself, admiring them. They were the only glimpse as to who he was behind the trauma.

Mint had learned not to look. Something about it felt wrong... she just wanted to keep her head down and get everything done. But she could feel them hanging above her, and was also calmed by the idea.

"We're almost out." Mint stated, distracting herself from her desire to look up to the night sky. "When we are... I might stay with you a bit. I do like the sound of this 'compound', and maybe it should have more than one responsible adult, hey?"

"Oh, Mint," Robin responded, only half paying attention, "you can stay for as long as you want. That's what's great about it."

Mint chuckled melancholically.

"No... that whole thing's not for me. Never was. I prefer to be alone."

Robin's attention was pulled from the stars upon hearing this.

"You... you're not gonna stay with us?" she questioned, hurt.

Mint just shook her head sadly.

"Oh... okay." Robin muttered, before looking back up to the stars, not to marvel at them now, but to find some comfort in her new pain.

Ben silently did the same. He had known Mint never would've been able to handle the Compound, but the confirmation had destroyed what small hopes he had kept. 'At least she won't be here' he thought, consoling himself.

-(TWIG)-

Twig stormed back into the abandoned shopping centre. He saw her, that woman shrouded in mystery, with her back turned to him. Well, presumably she had her back turned, but every time he looked at her it was like light itself avoided her, distorting his vision of where she should be.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!? THEY'RE DEAD, JUST LIKE I SAID! Alan... Emma... I don't even want to go looking for her. I just- I know it... YOU LET THIS HAPPEN! YOU L-"

"Then what are you doing here," she interrupted, "instead of being out there, how did you say, 'fighting alongside them'? How are you so sure it wasn't your absence that killed them? Why weren't you there? And look at you now. You aren't even taking revenge. Did you care about them at all? Or have you forgotten your toys as soon as you lost them?"

Twig froze up. All of the words that had been ready to burst from his lungs disintegrated, but air didn't replace them. He suddenly found himself questioning things he never thought he could... had he cared about them? Why wasn't he out there? He wasn't out there... because...

"Because you've got some hold over me, huh?" he returned, voice empty of hope. The figure turned to him, shocked at his insight.

"I mean, leaving them makes me hate myself, but you told me not to go... so I didn't. Why didn't I? Why did I put you first? I don't... I don't get it. Part of me's not... it's not there. What the hell are you doing to me? Is this... my fault?" Twig continued weakly, voice shaking.

The figure felt a small sense of relief. Twig hadn't figured anything out - he just recognized that he was being manipulated. But that was ok. It was too late for him to come back from it anyway. And besides, it was so kind of her to take a liking to him, to keep him on her side for now. That wasn't really what she was meant to do... he was one of them. But she'd kill him last...

"Of course it is. This is all your fault, Twig. But everyone makes mistakes, hm? Just listen to me, and maybe you'll have a little better luck. Maybe they died because they were expecting you to join them, so you shouldn't have elected to go with them, yes? And I was right then, yes? So just listen to me next time. I mean, I said it was for your own good. How much clearer can I get?"

Twig stared into the ground emptily. As always, she was right. Her way was the only way for him to be safe...

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... please help me... please. I don't want to die, I don't want to. Please." he begged, falling numbly into the figure's arms. Being held by her felt so cold, but when he wasn't, the world somehow felt colder.

She held him uncaringly.

"Of course I'll help you. You'll be safe with me, I promise that. Nobody else has to die."

Twig drew in a deep breath. Yet again, she was so kind, so loose with him... after everything he'd done, she always let him in. He would always fight for her... it was all he could ever hope to do to return the favour.

-(THE EDGE OF JEWEL STREET)-

Ben and Mint knew Jewel Street like the backs of their hands. They were coming up on a border... the last challenge before freedom.

They held their breaths as they approached - only to get thrown to the side of the road as the car swerved violently, crashing headfirst into the side of a building! Motors buzzed and roared as they approached the crashed car, having shot out it's back wheels. By the sounds of it, there were... hundreds of them. The gangs of Jewel Street.

All out for blood.