The streets of the flood-ravaged South City were cold and dark, like always, but tonight, echoes of screams and gunshots rang off of the giant abandoned skyscrapers.166Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVlj987aSrE
"Run, Aravin, run!" Saylor screamed as Head Minder Julia Freya Channary raised her arm and pointed her laser blaster.
"Julia! Stop!" Her husband, Zenda, ran towards her, trying to stop her actions, but Julia flung him aside with her thoughts.
"No, no, no," Aravin whispered to himself. This wasn't how it was supposed to end. Not racing through the abandoned streets of South City. Not at the hands of Julia Channary. He was supposed to die fighting Rosalynd's army, trying to stop the Dark Wars.
He wouldn't even get to say goodbye.
"ARAVIN!" Saylor cried out, her dark makeup smudging and streaking as tears ran in rivulets down her face. She began typing furiously in the air, her Hacker skills being tested like never before. A Minder shield dropped into her hand. If she could code it, she could use it. She dashed down a side street.
Julia began to slowly walk towards Aravin's fleeing form. Suddenly, Aravin stopped.
"Aravin," Julia called. "It doesn't have to be this way. Join me, help me annihilate Earth, and you can live."
Aravin strained against Julia's Minder hold on him. She was even influencing his thoughts now, and her offer seemed very tempting. He grit his teeth and replied.
"That's very cliche. You are, like, the most generic villain."166Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJB4Dc9dsEV
Julia growled. "I'll take that as a no, then? Aravin, I gave you a chance!"
In the second that Julia's anger flared and blinded her, Saylor tossed him the Minder shield and he ran away, laughing.
"So cliche, Julia! I'd never take you up on that offer. You'd have to kill me."
"I can arrange that," she whispered.
Suddenly, Saylor felt her body move forward. Her hands swept across the screen only she could see. A long knife appeared in her hand. Aravin stopped dead.
"Saylor!" He ran towards her.
"No, Aravin, go! She's using me, you have to go! RUN!" But Aravin continued towards her.166Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FuoeOO44t
"I have to help you. I'm your guard, remember?" He smiled sadly. "And the only way she can hurt me is by hurting you." He was so close now.
Saylor gasped. "What?"
"I love-" Saylor thrust the knife into his stomach. Julia released her hold.
"NO!" she screamed. "ARAVIN!" He collapsed into her arms. "Aravin," she whimpered.
She sank to the ground, holding Aravin tight.
"Saylor," he rasped, blood burbling up through his lips.
"No, no, don't talk. Save your strength. Can Blooders heal themselves? Oh, please don't die."
"Saylor," he repeated. "You know I'm already gone."
"No, tell me what you need. You can heal yourself, right?"
Aravin slowly shook his head. "Saylor."166Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHY1aX1M2Q1
He pushed himself up and wrapped his arms around her neck.
"Aravin," she whispered. He crushed his bloody lips against hers, straining to make his last moments count.166Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡps7eSRQQly
"Saylor," he murmured against her lips, "I will always love you."
Tears and blood mingled on their cheeks as life slowly slipped away from Aravin.
Soon, he was too weak to sit upright and he slid down to the ground.
"Saylor," he breathed, "Marry Jaxon. Stop the Dark Wars. End this."
"I can't. Not without you."
"Please. For me."
She took a deep breath. "Okay."
Aravin heaved a sigh of relief, shuddered once, and drifted into unconsciousness.
As he breathed one last time, she leaned down and kissed his forehead, then gently laid his head on the ground. She stood up, grabbed the discarded Minder shield, and snuck towards Julia. She was turned away from her and was arguing with her husband.166Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfosIVLKAE
"That boy could have changed everything!" Zenda was saying.
"He was a liability. A weak link. He could have ruined everything," Julia retorted.
Saylor unclipped the battle rifle from the strap on her back and lined up her shot. She was at the maximum range for an accurate shot and there were so many twisted lampposts and pieces of buildings in her way, she had to be meticulous in her aim.
Finally, finally, she had Julia centered in her sights.
She pulled the trigger.
As she shouldered her gun and turned away from the scene of carnage, she whispered to herself, "One less enemy. One less friend. One more day." 166Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx9V3hb4UPM
With a flash of blinding light, she was gone.
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*This is a non-canon story. This is not going to happen in the book I'm planning, "The Battle of Centura". I'm not killing off Aravin. Don't worry, Cheeto. If this isn't quite on-prompt, I apologize.*166Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6pvMJnQt5
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