Unity

Nineteen: Agony

 A/N: Oh boy... Lots of you are mad at me for that last chapter... I'll probably get lynched for this one... Let's just jump right into it. (Votes and comments appreciated, as always, even if you're mad at me.)

It was cold in the Facility. It was colder than it had ever been. The sun was gone. I missed the natural brightness it gave off. It had been taken from me before I could even protest. I didn't even notice until we had already returned.

I couldn't lift my gaze from the floor. My eyes traced the lines separating the panels. My head couldn't physically rise from its place in my hands. I knew that I looked weak, hunched over in the chair, but I didn't care anymore. A cloud of nothing filled my head. A cold hand had been gripping my heart ever since we returned from the field mission. It was squeezing it painfully but I couldn't make it let go.

I felt someone place a thin hand on my shoulder. I hadn't noticed them approach. I didn't move.

"I'm sorry, Soarin," Mallory whispered.

I didn't say anything.

"It's not your fault." Her voice rose in pitch.

I laughed, just one laugh.

"I'm going back to the wing. Wait here if you like," I heard Mallory sigh. Her hand dropped off my shoulder and slid away.

Why wouldn't I wait here? I said to her in my head. I can't leave this spot until I know.

The rest of the team, Rex and Lynette, had both already left. I was the only one remaining. I burrowed my head further into my palms. I had noticed the tiniest beetle crawling between the floor panels. My mind couldn't help but wonder how he got in, whether there were any others if he missed the other beetles. The poor creature would probably die in the Facility now that he had gotten in. There was no way out once you were in. He just had to try and get in despite that. I felt the need to crush the bug, just to put it out of its misery.

"Soarin?"

I jumped up instantly, fully alert and standing. Nurse Jocelyn was waiting for me. Her skin was shimmering with sweat and curls of her long black hair stuck to her cheeks. She had a gentle, pitiful smile. Reality crashed back onto me. The nightmarish memory began to replay in my mind.

I called out at Chance to look out but he just smiled at me as he was struck with his own sword. His body crumpled into the crowd like an invisible giant had stepped on it. I screamed as the people around him closed in on where he used to be. I rushed straight into the thick of it. When I reached the center I found him on the ground, crushed and bleeding. The surrounding citizens were surging. I shouted at them madly and swung my fists around until they had backed off. I knelt down to Chance and lifted his head in my arms. My hands were shaking but his didn't move, wouldn't move. I clutched at them. I held one of his hands in mine and cradled his body with the other. The blood continued to ooze from his forehead.

I squeezed his hand tighter and then began to shake him. I screamed at him to wake up. I blindly screamed for him to listen to me. All that I could think was that he was gone, he was gone and it was my fault. I bent my forehead down to his head and pressed them together. I felt my face grow hot as lines of tears etched into my skin.

I wasn't sure how long I was like that, but soon I felt hands pulling us apart. I screamed and grabbed for him but gloved hands lifted his pale form away. My teammates kept me off of him as I fought hard against them. I insisted they let me go. I watched helplessly as they took Chance onto a hoverplane. And then the hands would disappear and the crowd would reappear in front of me. I would spin around and behind me, I would see his face smiling as a sword was brought down on his head.