Hourglass of Time (Chase Brody/Antisepticeye)

Ten (Part 2)

I knew I was going to regret this...I knew this was going to get bad. The feeling of getting thrown around is just...it's like when you snap a rubber-band against your skin, only it's constant, never-ending. It's almost excruciating. I can't even write this without thinking about it...

***

EARLIER

"So..." I began, not letting my guard down. "You just gonna stand there, or are we gonna settle this?"

The glow in his eye dimmed away. "Settle what?" He sneered. "He's already gone."

My body tensed up. "You're lying."

He raised his hands, his wings elongating with them. "I wouldn't lie about something like that. He gave up, Lily...he was tired of trying to break the barrier." He smiled again. "Plus he was so much happier with his family."

"You don't know that.."

"Oh I do." He pointed to his head. "I've seen everything play out in here..even your little.." He gave a look of disgust. "display of love.." In a finger snap, that look was gone, leaving that smile. "He's with his family now. He's been given another shot. He's done with you."

I held back the tears as much as I could, but my voice still shook. "He's not..shut your damn mouth."

"Or what?" He sassed. "You'll kill me?" In the blink of an eye, he was in front of me, his face inches from mine. "You can't kill me...I'm stronger than you. You're nothing but a maggot. You're fighting for nothing. You can't accept the fact that he's moved on from you. That he's wanting to fix the mistakes he made. That he wants to be with the people he really loves."

I couldn't say anything back to him for that. Is Chase really doing what Anti is saying? Is he really giving up? After everything he told me, that no matter what happens, I keep fighting to get him back, just to have this happen in the end? What if this was all a setup? Just so I can practically throw myself here, all of this being just one big lie?
Stepping back from him, those doubts slowly crawled back into my mind, and Anti laughed.

"You see now? Doesn't that make you want to give up? Does it make you want to scream in frustration?" He was in front of me again, leaning close to my ear, whispering "Does it make you want payback?"

My hand curled into a fist behind me, that anger gnawing at me. "Yeah...it does..." I growled.

He placed his hand on my shoulder. "Good...I could use something like that..at my side. You'd be perfect for it. Besides...being bad feels so..." He let out a heavy breath, almost like relief. "so damn thrilling."

My lips curled into a grin, lifting my head up to him. "Yeah...it would...in fact.."

My fist glowed, catching him being off guard for a split second, and it was perfect for me to use it. Throwing it at his gut, he flew backwards, but his wings stopped him from hitting the wall, spinning in a circle until he righted himself.

Anti had a scary, pissed off look on his face, his eye glowing once more. "You bitch! How did you get that power??"

"Let's be clear, you dick.." I snapped, exploring this newfound confidence in me. "I came here for one reason." Without thinking about it, I used my fist to lift my feet off the ground, bursts of its energy levitating me. "That reason...is to kill you."

Anti's teeth turned sharp, jagged, like a shark. "So be it."

Flying at me, he threw a huge column of air, my back hitting the stone wall. Immediately brushing it off, he tried to choke me, but I held his arms back, smacking my forehead with his, punching my fist across his face, slamming it on his shoulder. Vaulting down a few feet, he used it to his advantage, coming back up, smacking his wings against my jaw. Falling to the ground, pain shot through my shoulder.
I knew he was stronger than me, and I knew he could end it right now while I was down. I had to show him I wouldn't bow out so easily. That I will push through until the last straw falls off. I can't give up...I won't give up.
I started to get back up when he was on top of me, pinning me down. Lifting his hand, his fingernails extended into long, sharp black claws before slamming them into my collarbone. Screaming, I could feel the blood slowly oozing out.

"This is what you get for pissing me off." Anti snarled. "You're too weak for this..and now you face the consequences."

"This is the part where you shut up." I spat, using my fist again, watching him skid across the floor. Standing, my hand instinctively went to the wound, putting a little pressure on it. When he didn't move, I raised an eyebrow, going over to him.
My mind screamed at me that it was a trick, that this was part of his plan...but when I stood there for a few seconds, I knelt down, putting my hand on his arm.

"Chase?" I asked.
Terrible mistake...because he shot back up in a flash, slamming me into the stone, biting down a yell.

"You had to fall for that, didn't you?" Anti sneered. "You stupid, little girl."

He threw a punch across my face. "When will you accept that he's gone??" Another one, yet he forced me to look at him. "That he doesn't want to be in this world anymore?" Another. "That he wants me to take over him for eternity??"

When he did it again, I could feel my skin swelling up, blood trickling out of my mouth, my vision blurry. Did Chase really give up? Did he really just let Anti do what he wanted? No....no I can't think that...I can't.

"Say it all you want.." I breathed. "It's still not gonna stop me."

Growling in frustration, he picked me up by the neck, throwing me against what was left of a window, the glass falling around me as I hit the ground. I could feel pieces of it digging into my skin, but I felt too weak..too useless.

"I admire the bravery." Anti said, crouching down in front of me. "But I'm afraid you're out of time now."

Laughing, he threw one last punch, and it was the last thing I felt before the world snapped a black curtain over my eyes.