Chapter 12: An End to All Things

Part 3 of 3: What Truly Matters

"Do y'all have any idea what you've done by coming here?"

Dash wiped the blood from her lips. It was almost funny; she hadn't noticed it before. Perhaps AJ had thrown her to the ground a bit harder than she thought, or perhaps it had always been like that. It wasn't important. What was important, however, was that she could still smirk. And so, she immediately let the words flow from her lips.

"I'm assuming proved to the world yet again that we're insurmountable bad-asses," said Dash. "I mean, really AJ? You managed to get a whole squad of lunatics to help you, and we still kicked your ass. That's real pathetic."

"You talk too much," AJ groaned. Dash wiped the blood from her nose, and groggily stood up.

"Yeah, that's just one of my many quirks, ain't it?" she taunted. "Big fucking mouth I have."

AJ scowled. "I don't have time for this bullshit. You two shouldn't be here."

"Of course not," Dash said, her smile fading. "Not with a psychopath about to jumpstart World War Three. You wouldn't want anyone to stop that, would you?"

"Just stop talking for a moment, will ya?" said AJ, a hint of desperation in her voice. "Look… you two are in way over yer heads. I get your being assigned to do this. I really do. But you can't be here right now. I'm going to give you one last chance: take your friends, and walk out of here alive, before somethin' bad happens."

"Something bad?" Dash growled, quickly turning hostile. "How about killing millions of fucking people who did nothing wrong to you!? Is that bad? How the fuck could you do this to us, AJ? Do have any idea of how many people you're willing to hurt!? Think about it!"

"Dash, it's okay," Tara interrupted. Using her sword as leverage, she hoisted herself from the floor. Dash nearly gasped at the sight. Tara had cut herself across the eye, causing a stream of blood to run down her pale cheek. Her hair fell in a tangled mess along her shoulders, and she wobbled as she stood. It was instantly clear that only some intangible force was keeping her aloft.

But for Tara, it was quite clear what was keeping her standing. It was her drive, the everlasting push that forced her to keep fighting. It no longer mattered that her body was broken. She had a friend to save. And, luckily, she knew just how to do it.

"AJ, you're being mind-controlled," Tara stated calmly. "I can't blame you for following your father. I can't blame you for hating the world. But, I know that this isn't what you want. I think you know it too. You have the power to stop this right now. I've seen it. You don't have to something you'll regret. Please, AJ… come with us. We can take down The Unknown, and end all of this."

"No!" AJ suddenly snapped. "No one is going to hurt him! None of you understand us! He's an innocent man whose been wronged far too many times to die like a rat!"

"Open your eyes!" Tara pleaded. "He's tried to kill you. He's tried to kill all of us. That man is the reason we're here right now. He's the reason my brother and sister are dead. You're speaking his words that have been forced into your skull. You've been blinded to the truth."

"I'm not blind," AJ stated furiously. "I've never seen anything more clearly. You are not going to harm him, Tara."

"Then what!?" screamed Dash. "You're just gonna kill us now when we can barely fight back?"

"No! Nobody has to die!" AJ shouted defensively. "I don't want to harm anyone. You're my friends, too. Just leave, and everything will be okay."

"And watch the world burn?" Dash growled. "I'd rather die."

"Face it, AJ," Tara said sternly. With a burning intensity, she raised her sword, and pointed it towards her former friend. "We're not leaving. I'm done playing games. You have a choice, whether you know it or not. Help us kill your father, or be put down."

AJ held out her blades in front of her face. She begged, "I don't want to do this to you."

"Then help us."

"I can't."

"Yes, you can!"

"Just please leave."

"We're not going to surrender the world for the sake of our own lives!"

"Please, Tara! Just get out of here before something happens to you!"

Tara stared at AJ in shock. For a brief moment, she thought she saw tears running down AJ's face. Maybe they were real, maybe they weren't. It didn't matter. What did matter was AJ's voice. For all the months Tara had known her, AJ was a confident person, never failing to speak her mind. She carried around such an unmistakable confidence that she seemed to inspire everyone around her to act the same. But this wasn't the same AJ standing before her. AJ seemed afraid. She had her teeth gritted together, she looked down at her own hands in fear, and she kept trembling uncontrollably. For once in her life, AJ didn't seem to know what to do. For all Tara knew, AJ was about to be attack at any moment, or break down into sobs. Either thought made Tara hesitate, as she wondered just what The Unknown had done to his own daughter's mind.

But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered except finishing Matthew Balle, and AJ was standing in the way of that.

"We're not going," Tara sighed. "We will never give up. That's part of being a soldier. I'm sure someone like you will understand."

AJ looked at Tara with pity. Regretfully, hatefully, she lowered her weapon. She sighed deeply, unwilling to look Tara in the face.

"Then I'm sorry."

AJ launched forward at blistering speed. Tara had no time to react. Within seconds, AJ was in the air, falling towards Tara with her blades extended outwards. Tara tried to jump out of the way, but realized AJ was moving too fast.

Whoosh

AJ was sent flying to the side, rolling onto her stomach. Dash smirked at Tara as she rotated her shoulder around its joint.

"Are you just gonna stand there like a fucking idiot, Spark?" taunted Dash. "Move your scrawny ass, and let's take down this bitch."

"Sorry," Tara said hastily. She and Dash raised their arms in defense, watching AJ intently as she clawed on the ground. "You are aware that we just need to shove that needle in her neck for a minute right?"

"Of course," Dash said with a grin. "I'm not an idiot. Want me to grab the big guys?"

"No time," Tara said sadly. "We can't risk this going alone. In case you don't know, none of us have actually beaten AJ in a fight. Last time I tried—"

"You ended up with a bruise the size of your forehead. I remember it fondly."

"Feel free to make jokes at my expense after we've saved our friend from mind control."

"Deal."

AJ sprung to her feet. She growled. Why did her friends always have to make things so complicated? Didn't they know what was good for them? She knew that she couldn't let them get near her father, that much was certain. Her options had dwindled. It appeared that she did not have much of a choice. She wouldn't kill them, she decided. However, she would certainly have to make them hurt.

Dash swooped in from the side. At once, she unleashed a series of volleys towards AJ's face. Each punch was thrown quicker than the last, and AJ found it increasingly hard to dodge. For Dash, this was a very good thing indeed. She had to be the faster warrior for Tara's sake. She couldn't let up for a single moment. However, while AJ couldn't find a moment to strike back, dodging was not as difficult. To say the least, Dash was very predictable, and despite the fact that she moved in a blur, AJ was generally good at predicting where the blows would end up. As such, AJ weaved back and forced, occasionally resorting to stepping over her own feet and twirling about, forming almost a dance between her and her opponent.

But soon, Dash's stamina started to dwindle. However, for once, she expected this. The moment she began to feel tired, she jumped backwards, allowing Tara to rush in and take a quick strike with her sword. AJ parried the blade effectively, following up with a swipe at Tara's waist. But Dash quickly reached forward, grabbed AJ's arms, and carried her momentum to fling her away. AJ refused to let that happen. She jammed her feet into the pavement, took ahold of Dash's arm, and twisted it sharply before slamming her to the floor.

Tara lunged forward, the spark reignited inside of her. She may have been outmatched, but she was certainly more motivated to fight. She swung aggressively, never letting AJ get a spare moment. The hanger became filled with the sound of clanging metal, as sparks burst like firecrackers.

"Fight it off!" Tara shouted, as her katana became interlocked with AJ' machetes. "It worked with Fiona. It can work for you."

"There's nothing for me to fight," AJ replied sternly. "I know exactly what I'm doing."

"Your father has the power to brainwash people! He's tried to make our friends kill us! Don't you think that maybe he did the same to you?"

"I…" AJ stammered. Instead of answering, she yelled. She interlocked her leg with Tara's, and with one careful shift, forced her to the ground. Yet before she could truly capitalize, Dash returned with more vigor than ever before. She attempted to swipe away at least one of AJ's swords, but found that the long-time agent was very protective of her weaponry. She was forced to keep dodging as AJ focused all of her attention on getting both girls grounded, Of course, by doing this, Tara was allowed to rise once more, and AJ soon found herself balancing opponents on both sides.

Tara and Dash worked together rhythmically. They periodically took turns lunging in for quick strikes and defensively retreating. By the time AJ ad finished blocking a katana with one blade, she had to hold Dash back with the other. It was only made worse by the fact that she had no intention of killing either of the girls. She was certain that if she really wanted to, she could slit Dash's throat in a matter of seconds. It would not be difficult; Dash kept leaning in on her right hooks, making it very simple to outpace her and shove a blade through Dash's neck. Yet she knew that was not an option. They were still her friends, after all. It felt bitter having to fight them like this. It was such a shame that she didn't have a choice.

Tara had not known why AJ had ceased to move, but she took advantage of it quickly. Tara flipped around her sword, and jammed the hilt into AJ's midsection. AJ groaned, and quickly stepped away from the fight, holding onto her abs. In a flash, Dash delivered a swift blow to her jaw, catching her off-guard. Sensing a chance to finish the battle, Tara charged forward, raising her sword high in the air. She had to be precise; the slightest mistake could lead to very bloody consequences. Holding her breath to steady herself, Tara thrust the blade towards AJ's right hand. With perfect accuracy, the katana slipped beneath AJ's grip, and with one sharp twist of her wrist, the blade went sailing across the room. AJ was rapidly losing control of the situation. She attempted to return to the offensive, but Dash moved much faster. It only took but a moment to wrap her arms around AJ's chest, locking her arms at her sides and rendering her unable to fight.

"Spark, move it!" Dash ordered, holding on for dear life. AJ struggled intensely, and despite Dash's immense strength, the rebellious youth was not sure how long she could hold on. Luckily, Tara knew exactly what to do. She pulled out the metal syringe from her back pocket, and carefully slid it into AJ's neck. AJ screamed in pain as the serum slowly filled her vein, sending shockwaves down her spine. Despite the discomfort of watching her friend in such agony, Tara couldn't help but smile. At last, she could stop worrying about her friends' safety. Once AJ was unconscious, she could focus solely on stopping The Unknown. She could practically feel the relief washing over her as the last of the cure entered AJ's bloodstream. Soon, AJ would stop struggling, and it would be over.

But AJ didn't stop struggling. Instead, she howled like a wounded animal, and kicked Tara square in the jaw. She broke free of Dash's grasp right afterwards, and head-butted her friend for good measure. Rolling to her feet, she kicked Dash far away, as she held up her other sword in preparation for attack.

"Uh, Spark?" Dash said in panic. "What the hell's going on?"

"I… I don't know," Tara responded, equally fearful. "It… it shouldn't be taking this long…"

"What the hell did you girls just do to me?" AJ asked through closed teeth. With her free hand, she gently rubbed her neck. She let out a gasp of pain.

"This doesn't make any sense," Tara stated. "She should have passed out by now. The cure should have caused a shift in her brainwave frequency to render her unconscious—"

"You drugged me!?" AJ screamed furiously. She charged at Tara, fighting through the pain. Tara barely rolled underneath the blade aimed at her neck.

"So is she invincible to that shit?" Dash asked.

"Can't be, at least I don't think," Tara replied honestly, running over to Dash's position. "Once the drug entered her, the alteration in her mind would knock her out. That's what would happen if her thoughts were—"

Suddenly, Tara froze in fear. It couldn't be possible. It simply couldn't, yet it was the only explanation.

"AJ… how?" Tara asked, feeling ill. "How would you betray us!? How could you want to damn so many innocent people!?"

"I'm doin' what I have to do!" AJ replied angrily.

"You… you traitor…" Tara muttered under her breath.

"Spark, details," Dash said worriedly. Tara turned to her, fear and hatred radiating off of her.

"The cure didn't work properly because there was nothing to cure," Tara explained. "AJ was never brainwashed by her father… she's doing this all willingly."

"Of course I am!" said AJ. "What was I supposed to do? Kill 'em? After everythin' that's been done to hurt us? Did you think I would need to be under mind control to know the difference between right and wrong!?"

"Goddamnit," Dash swore. "What the hell are we supposed to do now? We can't really fight her, can we?"

"You sure as hell better try!" AJ screamed, as she charged towards her comrades. Her head was killing her. Whatever they had meant to do, it certainly felt awful. It seemed like her head would explode at any given moment. She was driven by a fury which she was not sure belonged to her. Was it the drug's fault? Was it driving her mad? She no longer knew why she was fighting, or who she was fighting, or just what the entailed. Yet in her deranged state, she saw everything around her as an enemy.

And AJ killed her enemies.

AJ swung wildly with her remaining blade, taking several seconds to wind up each blow. She kept screaming like mad as she swung her sword. Tara and Dash rolled away from each other, trying to keep AJ surrounded. However, the southern girl refused to let this get to her again. She focused solely on Dash, pushing her back into the wall of the hanger.

"Okay, you psychotic cowgirl fuck," Dash said with a fearful laugh. "Now that I know you really want to kill me, I guess I can finally stop holding back. By the way, you're hat looks so fucking stupid that I can't even believe it."

"Stop with the fucking jokes already!" AJ responded, shooting out her leg. Dash ducked as the boot broke through the wall of the hanger, resulting in a loud crash. Dash rolled to AJ's back, but the southerner whipped around and kicked Dash in the jaw, sending her stumbling back into Tara's grasp.

"AJ's freaking out," Tara stated. "I… I think that cure is screwing with her mind. She's stuck in a perpetual state of rage. I don't think talking her out of this is an option anymore."

"So we kill her, right?" Dash asked. "I mean, she's trying to destroy us all. We have no reason not to kill her."

Tara groaned in frustration. Dash was right, and she knew it full well. The same sense of denial was washing over her as it did when AJ had first attacked her. It almost didn't seem real that AJ would do something like this. Yet all the evidence was staring her in the face. AJ had made her choice. One of the most trustworthy people that she knew had turned her back on her friends, and agreed to participate in planned genocide. There should not have been more that was needed to be said. There was no excuse for her; even if AJ was to be brought back alive, she would be forced in a federal prison for crimes against humanity. Really, there seemed to be no other option.

But Tara was held back by her rationality. She couldn't do it; she would never kill her friends, no matter what they had turned into. She would just have to figure out something else, she realized. All of it would start with getting AJ out of her state of fury, and under control.

"Dash, when I give the word, charge straight on," Tara ordered.

"Master plan?"

"Master plan."

Dash shrugged, and took off immediately. She approached AJ with absolutely zero caution, pulling back her fist. AJ snarled, and swung her blade high at Dash's face. However, Dash slid directly underneath the blow, allowing Tara to jump up in the air, and swing her foot around at AJ's head. For a moment, AJ was completely stunned.

And then, she wasn't. AJ furiously grabbed onto Tara's leg, and swung her into the pavement. Dash attempted to retaliate, but her fist was grabbed easily, and soon she too was on the floor in agony.

"All you two ever do is interfere with my plans!" AJ bellowed. "All you had to do was leave! Was that so fucking complicated!? I ought'a—"

Suddenly, AJ was launched several yards backwards into the hard wall as vibrations shook the ground. Out of nowhere, Yuri charged at AJ's disabled form.

"Hey bitch!" he said with a smirk. "I believe we have a dance to finish!" All AJ could detect was something large moving quickly towards her. It was by pure instinct that she knew to hit the floor, allowing the massive fist to sail over her head. Yuri never let up, unleashing a barrage of attacks as fast as she could. Unfortunately, he had taken too many blows during his fight with Rachel, and so his speed was anything but fast. Even in AJ's stunned and confused state of mind, she still dodged all of his strikes. As the two warriors entered a constant rhythm, Kristov made his way over to Tara and Dash, who watched the ordeal unfold before their eyes.

"You two need to go," Kristov stated, pulling the girls to their feet. "We'll take care of your friends."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" said Dash. "We can all work together on this."

"You girls have too much restraint," Kristov said calmly. "In the later stages of the fight, it will hold you back. We can take care of her with no such problem."

"But we can't beat Balle by ourselves," Tara said worriedly.

"And my brother cannot fight your friend on his own. We're both wounded. I understand your dilemma, but you girls will have to try. We'll help out as soon as we can."

Yuri screamed from several yards away. He stumbled backwards, clutching a bloody jaw.

"You've gotten better," he said with a snicker. "You're much stronger now than before. I find those traits very admirable in women."

"Don't ya fucking talk to me!" AJ hollered, letting loose an onslaught on the younger Korbalov. Kristov growled.

"What are you two waiting for? Go, now! You've wasted enough time as it is!"

Tara opened her mouth to say something. She knew it was her duty to protest. How could she be expected to leave her friend's life in the hand of maniacs? Why would she possibly trust the Korbalovs in anything they said? She knew that she needed to help make sure AJ was taken care of before her father could even be considered as a threat. It was truly the only correct thing to do.

However, it all meant nothing as Dash grabbed onto her arm, and yanked her towards the exit.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Tara screamed in frustration. "You're not leaving AJ behind, are you!?" Dash ignored Tara entirely, speaking directly to Kristov.

"Make sure you don't kick her ass too much," she said. "Even if she is a bloodthirsty psychopath, I'd rather have her head not get caved in."

Kristov nodded, and quickly ran off to join his brother. Tara was in such shock at Dash's behavior that she did not physically protest at first. It wasn't until she was struck with the gleaming light of a dying sunset that she shook herself free.

"Are you trying to piss me off?" Tara asked bitterly.

"Kristov's got a point," Dash said, a hint of urgency in her voice. "Think about it: neither of us have anything close to the drive AJ had back there. I'm not gonna let you go and kill yourself because you want to help AJ get her head together."

"And so is this really the alternative? Run off to fight Balle without any backup?"

"If Balle knows we're here to stop the launch, and he knows what happened to his 'lackeys', then do you actually think that he'll wait any longer to attack?" Dash retorted. "Face it. We're running out of time, and as far as we know, Balle is going to flip his shit and destroy the world at any moment, especially if he finds out his daughter was taken down."

"That's… not unreasonable," Tara said grudgingly. The situation as slipping away from her faster with each prolonged moment. Logic stated that she go back and assist the Korbalovs, and then take on The Unknown as a unit. However, the possibility of Dash being right lingered far more prominently than it should have. What if fighting AJ really proved to be too much? What if it distracted her so badly that she caused someone to get hurt? What if she actually was on an ever decreasing timer? Of course, logic should have presented such thoughts as ludicrous. Still, there was always a chance.

"Come on, Spark," Dash said, her voice softer. "Trust me on this. We need to move now."

Perhaps too much blood had drained from her head, or perhaps she was far more tired than she realized. Perhaps she was having a panic attack, or perhaps Dash had rubbed off on her more than she wanted. It didn't matter what the reason was. What did matter was that Tara agreed.

With a confident smile, Tara took off towards the command building, with Dash in hot pursuit. At some point during the hundred-yard run to the command building, Dash overtook Tara easily, but the intelligent girl was too caught up in her adrenaline to do anything about it. She was too busy zoning her focus on the task ahead. She had even failed to put her sword away properly. Dash was taken aback by this. Never had she thought Tara would be so intent on doing something so fraught with danger. Not even Dash herself knew if she was actually correct. For all she knew, it would have been perfectly alright to assist the Korbalovs in their endeavors.

And yet, the hazard remained, and the urgency pushed them forward.

"Dash, do you have a weapon on you?" asked Tara. Dash nodded towards her back pocket, where Tara could clearly see Dash's weapon kept at the ready.

"Be careful," said Dash sincerely. Tara held back from gasping at such words. Even after all she and Dash had been through, it was still a shock to hear compassion from her friend.

"Of course," Tara agreed. Before she knew it, the command building was directly in front of her. Its silver walls gleamed with the final glimmers of the sun as it towered over the girls, imposing fear and uncertainty. In front of the girls were three short, white steps, leading to a very standard green door. Tara and Dash looked at each other. With one simple glance, they knew what to do. Cautiously, Tara walked up to the door, and grabbed the knob. It creaked open at once.

"It's been left unlocked," Tara said, half-nervously. It made reason for it to be unlocked; AJ had just left, and with no intruders, it seemed unlikely that she would bother locking it. Still, it felt ominous, as if it was left open just for her. Tara shrugged away the thought quickly. Now was not the time for her to be getting nervous.

Upon entering the facility, the first thing Tara noticed was that it seemed to double as living quarters for the group as well as a launch site, given how the closest barricades were much farther away from the base. Tara and Dash stood in a grey corridor, with an abundance of open rooms on either side. On the left appeared to be a makeshift med-bay, while the right side had several rooms with blankets and pillows. It was up ahead, however, that attracted Tara's attention. Another green door awaited her, cracked slightly ajar, giving her a glimpse of the dim light emitting from the unknown. Tara waved Dash forward, and with a point of her fingers, instructed her to press against the wall. Tara stood across from her, gripping her sword tighter and tighter.

"You ready?" Dash asked in a low whisper. Tara closed her eyes; her heart pounded in her ears. She was finally here. After months of endless tracking, heartbreak, and frustration, she was finally ready to finish what was started long ago. She had no idea how she was going to do it or what it would mean for her or the rest of her friends. But yet, there simply was no alternative. She was going to face the monster who had ripped her life right out from under her. It did not matter how hard he would fight, or how badly she would get beaten, or if she was going to survive. There was only one absolute in her mind:

The Unknown, Matthew Balle, was going to die.

On her signal, Dash kicked open the door and Tara sprang into the room, extending her sword out into the open. Dash followed close behind, ready to assist her comrade in any dire need. However, the circular room was empty, save for a few chairs, many small computer monitors, and one very large screen on the far wall, which displayed images of coordinates on a world map. Balle did not appear to be present, although Tara did not feel any more comfortable.

"Okay, we got lucky," Tara stated, starting to move towards the main computer. "Let's take this thing out before—"

It was quite unfortunate for Tara that she did not notice someone dropping down from the ceiling behind her, or that Dash was not fast enough on her reaction. If these were so, it may have been possible that Tara would not have been kicked in the face. Although Tara probably should have expected a third ambush by this point, nothing happened to soften the blow against her already badly bruised head. By the time she was on the ground, Balle had already turned his attention to Dash. She threw out a right hook, but Balle slid past her fist, and easily tripped her. Tara noticed that Balle had placed on his mask and hat sometime before her arrival, probably for intimidation. However, she did not allow herself to be scared, as she pushed herself up, and thrust out her blade towards his face.

It was then that something unexpected happened; Balle whipped around, stuck out his own hands, and successfully grabbed Tara's sword by the blade, holding it in place. Tara, stunned, tried to force the blade down onto his head, but found that her weapon only clanged against Balle's hands. She suddenly happened to notice that Balle's usually black gloves were now silver and gleaming in the light from the monitor.

"You people are so easy to predict," Balle said dryly. "Always using a sword like a child… pathetic. Your friend, Rachel, was rather brilliant in developing this alloy. Lightweight, yet tightly fused together, making it practically indestructible. If you really wanted to kill me, you should get over your fears and learn how to fire a gun."

Tara tried not to let his words disturb her, yet couldn't help but feel intimidated. "How… how do you—"

"Because you already missed your chance to kill me three days ago," Balle responded. "You think I didn't notice your hand shaking, or the clear hesitation in your eyes? PTSD can strike at the worst times. It just happens to be one of your many, many weaknesses."

Tara angrily broke away from the hold. She needed to shut Balle up, and fast, before he could weave any more thoughts into her mind. She set out with a series of quick cuts, jutting the sword out at odd angles in an attempt to throw Balle off-balance. Unfortunately, while she had been suffering from three days' worth of wounds, he was practically fine. As such, it was easy for him to block the blows with the back of his hands, causing the katana to reflect off each time with a loud clang. At the very least, Tara found that she seemed to be pushing Balle back against the wall of computers, which gave her enough hope to press forward with the attack.

However, Balle planned this. As Tara pulled back for one final thrust, Balle had plenty of time to make his move. He leapt to the side just as Tara lunged forward. The sword passed by his belly without getting close, and with a bit of his assistance, was jammed into one of the computers. Sparks erupted, glass shattered into fragments, and electricity cackled viciously. Tara held up her free hand to cover her face from the blinding sight. Balle took advantage of her vulnerability, gabbing onto her face, and violently crushing her head into the ground.

Tara's vision turned white. The air was knocked straight out of her lungs, and the ringing of her ears was louder than any broken computer. The room was spinning around her. Get up, she thought to herself. You need to stand now. You have to fight. And yet, she couldn't get herself to move. She was fairly certain her head had been cracked open upon collision with the ground, as turning her head brought upon agony to her senses. Somewhere in her daze, she thought she saw Balle standing over her, holding her sword in his grasp. She could barely make anything of it, though, and so it seemed like nothing when Balle raised the sword in the air, and plunged it forward. The pain had blinded her completely to her surroundings. She existed in a state of semi-consciousness. Nothing was real to her, so what she saw probably did not matter.

Dash charged into Balle out of nowhere. Suddenly, both of them were gone from Tara's sight. The world was still a blur as she rolled herself over, trying to look at her surroundings. After wiping away the blood trickling down her face, she was able to spot two shapes battling in the distance.

Dash was faced with an onslaught of sword swings. She considered herself to be the fastest woman alive, but her wounded legs made it near impossible to keep up with Balle. He never let up a chance to strike; if she ducked the blade, then he would kick out towards her knees. If she jumped back, he would press forward. She was never allowed to be given the slightest opportunity over him, and Dash immediately recognized this. She knew Balle was a clever man. Years of hatred would teach almost anyone how to fight. After all, it was how she learned. Yet Dash considered herself clever as well. She could not beat Balle when he was completely focused. However, if there was one thing she knew for certain she was talented at, it was making people unfocused.

"I have to say," Dash began. "You're pretty fucking agile for a fifty year old psychopath."

"Forty-five," Balle corrected, pressing his advance. "And honestly, I can't fathom why you open your mouth at the most impractical of times."

"I don't see why not," Dash replied with a smirk. "If I'm about to die, why should I not let say everything on my mind? Wouldn't you just love to hear the grand compilation of my thoughts and feelings?"

"Do you honestly expect to distract me with this," Balle sighed. "I know what you're doing. You're trying to throw me off with your idiotic ramblings. It's such a strange tactic for someone about to die."

Dash grinned, rolling away from a downwards slash. "It's funny. AJ said the exact same thing to me a while back. You know, when she was honest, and trustworthy, and worked to kill you. It's really a shame things can't go back to the way they were."

"My daughter will never return to you people," Balle stated. He had not realized the sound of anger seeping from his words, yet Dash heard it clear as day. "She knows the truth now, that you people are nothing but monsters sending children to fight your battles for you, while you lust for power."

"Like you're any better," Dash retorted. "You build yourself up an army of college kids, and send them to fight giant, meta-human mercenaries like a little bitch. Hate to break it to you, you faceless prick, but right now your precious daughter is getting beaten to death just outside."

Balle growled, and lunged forward with his sword. Dash dove out of the way, and scrambled back to her feet. She realized it was working. Balle's attack had moved far too slowly to be effective. She was wearing him down.

"I am nothing like you people," Balle said angrily.

"Oh wait, that's not even the worst of your worries," Dash laughed, ignoring Balle's words. "I mean, technically, we only paid the Korbalovs to take care of Rachel, Pinky and Fiona. AJ wasn't even considered. I was honestly just gonna rip her skull out of her goddamn head, but now that we're here, those Russians are probably going to want something in return. And last time they took one of our friends in… well, it didn't really end up so good for her face."

Balle slashed wildly at Dash's feet, yet she jumped over the blade. He swung diagonally towards her head, but she was gone before he could attack. She ran past him, grabbing onto his arm with one hand and his shirt with the other, and tackled him to the ground. They both ascended quickly, but Dash recovered first. Summoning every ounce of stamina she had, she shot forward using her powers, and punched him in the jaw.

"Just remember fuckface," Dash said with arrogance. "When your kid is getting raped and mutilated by those two freak shows somewhere in the Russian wastelands, know that it's your fault for putting her in harm's way in the first place. Just like—"

"Shut up!" Balle screamed. In a flash, his fist shot forward, and Dash let out an awful cry. His metal fist hit her in the center of her ribcage, cracking apart the bone. Her mouth was agape, and her eyes were wide. The only thing she registered was pain. She leaned against Balle's shoulder for support, as she felt her legs failing her. And then, she was struck again in the ribs by the same metallic hand. She couldn't even let out a scream; instead, she spat out a glob of blood in her mouth, and fell to her knees.

Tara was released from her dazed condition by Dash's cries. When the world straightened, she saw Dash on her knees, unable to move, and Balle standing triumphantly over her. He looked down upon her with disgust, and although his face could not be seen, she knew exactly what he felt.

The motions that followed seemed to be unthinkable. Balle grabbed Dash by her hair, brutally throwing her to the floor. He kicked her in the side with all his might, and then watched her roll on the ground in agony. Since when had Dash been covered with so much blood? Was that all her own? Was she even still alive? These were Tara's most basic thoughts as Balle took her sword, and brought it to Dash's throat.

Suddenly, the katana flew out of his hands, and directly into Tara's. She wasn't entirely sure when she had started running towards him, or when she had started to scream. She found that her face was contorted with rage, and she could not stop. Her face was covered in her own blood, whether from her forehead or her nose. Her hair had become caked with the stuff, and she was finding it extremely painful to move. And yet, she kept running.

Perhaps the reason why was because she was desperate. Perhaps she realized that if she didn't step up, the world that she knew would be over. Perhaps she could not stand the prospect of her failing the people she cared about. Perhaps she didn't want to see anyone die when she could have helped. Perhaps she just wanted to save Dash's life.

The reason did not matter, as Tara leapt into the air, and spun around with her sword extended outwards. Her screams were all that she heard. She was mere feet from Balle as he looked up in surprise to see her approaching. He stared at her for but a brief moment, observing carefully as she drew near. Then, he jumped forward as well, shooting up his fist towards the approaching woman. Time seemed to slow as the katana and the fist connected. A loud crash echoed throughout the room. Neither seemed to push past the other, both metals pressed against each other. Even though they only collided for a moment, it felt like an eternity to both Tara and Balle, who watched with anger and panic.

And then, the katana cracked down the middle, and shattered into pieces.

Tara slammed into the ground as the fragments of her sword bounced about. She lay face down on her stomach, horribly defeated. When the silence returned, Tara raised her head groggily. All around her, she could see the remains of her once graceful weapon. The beautiful carvings which had lined the blade were now cracked and crooked. The hilt lay near her side, jagged steel jutting from its edge. She couldn't even tell how many pieces lay around her, but to her, it felt like a graveyard. Through the blood and the pain, all she could feel was remorse.

"Pathetic," Balle stated gruffly. He kicked a fragment of the sword out of his way. Then, he began walking towards the main console. "After all of the pain you've caused to my family, you still thought you could get away with it. Years of suffering mean nothing to you people. I hope you truly enjoyed your reign over this world, because its finally time we bring this to an end."

Tara let out a moan of agony as Balle reached the main computer. He began viciously typing away, and his commands appeared on the screen. The countdown had begun.

"Please… please stop…" Tara choked out, trying to climb to her hands and knees. "You don't need to do this. Millions of innocent people could die."

"No one is innocent," stated Balle as he watched the screen with desire. All of his plans were finally coming to fruition.

"They… they didn't mean to do this to you," Tara said, desperately. "They had no choice."

"Everyone has a choice. They made theirs, and I made mine."

"Matthew… do you really think AJ would want this? Or you wife?" Tara begged. It couldn't end like this. Not like this. "Please, just… just let this go."

Balle was about to type in the final command, when he paused. He said nothing for several moments; he just stood there, contemplating this idea suddenly thrust into his mind. Tara looked up in both fear and hope, her entire body shaking. Dash was trying to hold herself steady against the wall, clutching her chest with one arm. She watched Balle through the pain, waiting anxiously for him to move.

Then, Balle sighed. "Matthew Balle cared about others. He trusted them in everything they did. Unfortunately, he burned to death fourteen years ago."

And then, with melancholy, The Unknown pressed the "ENTER" key, and fulfilled everything he dreamed of.

However, that didn't happen. Instead, he heard a high-pitched beeping noise. Then, there was another. And then, the entire computer exploded. He screamed as the fire consumed him, absorbing everything he was. Tara fell to her belly, stitching her eyes shut and covering her ears as the echoes reverberated around the room. Dash used her free arm to cover the intense light as she pushed herself closer to the wall. The explosion was not able to fill the room, yet both girls could feel the intense heat emitting from the ball of fire. It seemed like an eternity before the flames calmed down. When they did, the room was dark save for the small flames still flickering across the charred remains of the computer. The Unknown lay flat on the ground, his clothes and mask torn and burnt. He groaned weakly, unable to move. Tara and Dash looked at each other in confusion.

"What… what the fuck was that?" Dash asked, confused yet amazed. Tara looked hard at the remains, trying to understand what was happening. She pushed herself to her knees again, as the pain started to subside. Dash watched as her face changed from confusion to realization, to shock, to relief.

"I… I think she did it," Tara whispered, a smile forming on her face. "AJ… AJ did it."

Dash looked Tara, and then back to the remains. The words, foreign at first, were able to piece together in her mind. "AJ sabotaged the operation," Dash stated, completely amazed. "Holy shit, she was undercover this whole goddamn time, wasn't she?"

Tara couldn't stop herself from smiling. The incredible relief she felt was unlike anything she had known. All of her anxiety and fear was flushed away. Her body still ached, but her mind was finally at rest. After months of fighting, she could finally rest. The threat was defeated, the world was saved, and she still had her friends by her side. Nothing else that happened mattered to her.

It was finally over.

Dash hobbled her way over to her, only occasionally pausing to take a deep, calming breath. The Unknown continued to moan on the floor.

"She… betrayed me," he muttered quietly. Despite the horrible burns covering his flesh, the simple knowledge of the truth hurt more than anything else. The only person he cared about, the only person he trusted in the entire world, destroyed everything left precious to him. Even after she had learned everything that had happened to him, she chose to side with the creatures that stole her life away. It was truly the greatest cruelty he had ever known. Very carefully, he began an attempt to stand.

"You think next time she could tell us when she would do something like that," Dash stated, trying to keep up her annoyed tone. However, she found that she too was smiling. She made a mental note to punch AJ in the face the next time she saw her, but aside from that, she found that she couldn't really stay mad for long. She held out a hand to Tara, and helped the girl to her feet.

"And to think that AJ says she isn't a good liar," Tara joked. She considered that for a moment. She just made a joke. She felt like she hadn't done that in years. She rubbed the back of her head, feeling the bruise on her scalp. She probably had a concussion, but at least nothing seemed to be bleeding there, so she felt fine with it. However, her mood quickly diminished when she looked around at the floor. All of the pieces of her sword shone a dull orange from the flames. Tara frowned as she picked up the hilt, and examined it. The rough edges at the top appeared highly sharp, perhaps sharper than the sword itself. Dash's mood changed as well.

"Oh shit," she muttered, watching as Tara stared at the hilt with dull eyes. "Sorry about your sword. I knew how much you liked it."

"It's… it's fine," Tara said with a sigh, letting the hilt slide out of her lifeless hand. "It's just a sword. I think I'll survive. Who knows? Maybe Celestia can get the thing repaired."

"You mean, if the government doesn't confiscate it first, or she doesn't get fired for helping us break out," Dash stated. Tara shrugged.

"Yeah… right…" she said plainly. Meanwhile, The Unknown clawed at the ground, trying so hard to get to his feet.

"You ruined everything," he moaned, his gravelly voice stricken with hate. "You… corrupted her."

Suddenly, both girls turned their attention to the man lying on the ground.

"He's still alive. What do we do with him?" Dash asked. Tara pondered this for a moment. The obvious choice was to kill him. She could easily allow Dash to take a mercy shot. It would certainly wipe out the threat entirely. However, something about it did not settle right with her. Not only did she have an awful feeling that it would be a terrible thing to do, but she knew that she would be losing someone very valuable. She figured there was probably so much information that he could provide that she couldn't even know it all. A vast knowledge of the criminal underworld would be most helpful. Besides, she felt like it wouldn't be fair to AJ. Even though the two probably hated each other, Tara knew the downside of not having a family. AJ had been without one for far too long; Tara couldn't take that away from her now, even if he did end up living in a jail cell.

"Dash, go get the Korbalovs," Tara stated. "We're going to need some rope or something to tie him up." Dash looked at Tara doubtingly.

"Are you sure, Spark?" she asked, eyeing The Unknown on the ground. He was struggling to push himself to his knees. "He's a psychopath. What if he breaks out and gets away?"

"We're not going to kill him… at least no yet, I think," Tara said. "We might be able to learn things from him. Besides, he doesn't look like he's in much of a condition to hurt anyone anyway."

"You're… you're all weak," The Unknown spat out bitterly. He sounded less sophisticated and far more like a delusional madman. The loss of everything had snapped something in his mind, filling his entire being with pure hatred. "You still care about people in this world. You're too trusting, and that makes you weak. I'll kill you all for betraying me, every last one of you. This world will burn, dammit. I'll get what I deserve."

Dash sighed. "I hope you know what you're doing, Spark. Really, I do."

Tara smiled lightly. "Trust me."

Dash took a deep breath, and then slowly began to walk back to the entrance. She could hear the ravings of The Unknown behind her, and personally could not wait to get out of the room. However, she only walked a few steps before her body betrayed her. She gasped in pain, and fell to her knees, clutching her chest tightly. In a flash, Tara was by her side.

"Are you okay?" Tara asked, concerned. Dash let out a small chuckle.

"I think I just experienced more pain than anyone else on the planet," she joked, trying to keep the mood light. Tara helped her stand, but found that she needed to constantly support her wait on her shoulder.

While the girls were distracted, however, The Unknown finally raised himself to his knees. The flames had burnt through his mask, marking several patches of black and red flesh. His body trembled as he looked onwards, watching the girls struggle. He could feel the burns on his throat, scorching away at his insides. He doubted that he would be able to save himself another time. If the situation, he might have considered the grand irony in everything: he was killed by the very person he sought to save.

However, he could not focus on anything but the fact that he was killed by the person he tried to save. His own flesh and blood had revolted against him. The person he loved was transformed into a savage animal, and he could plainly see who was responsible. After all, the monsters that had mutated his beloved daughter into a murderous psychopath were standing right in front of him, with their backs turned, not paying attention to him. The sadistic little girls had taunted him of AJ's betrayal and of her torment endlessly. They planned to hold him down and torture him for all of his worth. They thought they had won. They thought they had completed their quest of bloodshed. However, The Unknown realized that they were very, very wrong about that.

Carefully, with shaky hands, he reached into his back pocket, and pulled out a pistol.

Tara suddenly felt a shift in the air. She stopped tending to Dash's wound and stood perfectly still. Something was wrong, but she could not tell what. It felt as if a ghost had just passed by her, sending a chill to her bone. She could sense an imbalance by means no other than pure instinct, yet she was certain something very bad was about to happen. She glanced over to Dash; her friend had yet to notice anything different. Time had slowed down. Each moment ticked by in agonizing slowness. Tara quickly delved into her memories, searching for something important she might have missed. Everything seemed to be fine, so then why did she feel death looming near?

Then, Tara heard the sound of a gun being cocked. Every nerve fired in her body. She did not have the time to turn around, or the energy to stop the gun from being fired. She had no means to block anything coming her way. However, Tara had never even considered this. The instant she heard the sound of the gun, she knew exactly what was about to happen, and what needed to be done.

Tara, stricken with fear, immediately leapt to her side and tackled Dash to the ground, as two gunshots rang throughout the room. The two girls rolled on the floor, with Tara ending up on her back. Dash barely knew what was happening around her, and her only instinct was to hold herself as close to Tara as possible. Tara, however, was never dissuaded from her goal. She reached her arm around Dash's waist, into her pocket, and yanked out the pistol Dash kept for emergencies. She pointed the weapon straight at The Unknown. Tara swore off using a gun long ago, as she never had the stomach for it. To her, it was a dishonorable death to bestow upon someone. It usually did not matter who that person was, or what they had done, but she could never find it in her heart to pull the trigger. It was a part of who she was.

However, the man before her had ruined her life, ruined the lives of her friends, her family, his own family, and now, had just tried to kill her best friend. Tara felt nothing left in her heart for the monster before her. There was no hesitation to be found.

BANG

he Unknown stuttered. The gun fell out of his limp hand, lightly clanging on the ground. He suddenly found it very difficult to breathe. He brought his free hand to his neck, trying to prevent it from shaking wildly. He felt a dark liquid flowing there. He felt the blood quickly pouring out of his body. He let out a weak choking noise, and looked up at the girls in desperation. Tara could plainly see fear present in his eyes.

And then, all at once, he fell onto his stomach, and ceased to be.

Both girls breathed heavily as they lay still. Tara kept her arm extended, letting the gun point at the spot where The Unknown used to be. Dash carefully lifted herself onto her elbows, and looked at Tara, who still wore a face of shock and fear.

"Holy shit, you saved my life," Dash said with respect. "How the hell did you manage to know those shots were coming?"

Tara said nothing. She continued to remain perfectly still, as if in shock of her actions. She knew that that must be what was wrong with her. That must have been why she felt so bizarre, so tired, so weak. Surely, it was the only logical explanation. It was what Dash surely thought as well. And then, for some reason, she was compelled to look downwards. The impulse seemed to come out of a dream, as if her subconscious beckoned her to do so. And so, Tara looked down upon her own chest, and in shock, stared down at it. Her gaze compelled Dash to do the same, and when she did, her eyes went wide.

Two pools of blood were forming beneath Tara's shirt. Tara looked up at Dash immediately. Their eyes met with horror and confusion.

"Oh my God," Dash whispered in fear. Those words were all it took to sap away the rest of Tara's strength. Tara let out a pained gasp, and fell back at once, staring up at the ceiling in a daze. Dash hovered over her, and all Tara could make out was the sheer panic in her eyes.

"This isn't fucking happening. This isn't fucking happening," Dash muttered, holding her hands over Tara's chest. Everything seemed surreal, like a horrible nightmare. Of course, she had to be in a nightmare, or else Tara wouldn't be bleeding like this. Tara was really fine in real life, once Dash woke up. Yet the nightmare continued, and Tara continued to bleed.

"You're gonna be fine, Spark," Dash reassured. She pressed down on one of the blood stains, and Tara let out a soft whimper. "You're not gonna die like this. You're not going to fucking die like this, do you hear me? You're not dying for my life." Dash looked around for something, anything to help her, yet the room was barren. She had no medical supplies with her, and the Korbalovs were a hundred yards away.

Suddenly, she remembered: the Korbalovs were still here. They could have brought supplies with them. Dash was quickly given newfound hope. If she could reach them in time, maybe, just maybe, she had a chance. It was a risk she was willing to take, especially given the consequences of failure. She reached down, and grabbed Tara by the shoulders. Her friend struggled little as she picked her up. However, she immediately realized that not only could she barely carry Tara as it was, let alone run, Tara would only get worse if she was moved around so fast. Improvising on her toes, she walked to the nearest wall, and rested Tara against it.

"Try to stay upright. I… I think that's what you're supposed to do," Dash instructed. She rose to her feet, and looked towards the door. It took all of her power just to sound calm, when in reality, it felt like her mind was a train wreck. "Just… just stay here, okay? I'm only going to be gone a minute, and then I'll be right back with help."

Dash began to hastily move towards the door, and then something grabbed onto her: a soft hand, weakly latching onto her own. Dash stopped, and turned around. Tara rested comfortably against the wall, grabbing onto her with her remaining strength. She never even turned her head, but their eyes still met each other.

"Please," Tara begged. It was the weakest Dash had ever heard her sound. Her voice sounded hollow and dull. "Please, just… just stay here with me."

Dash looked away. Tara was replaced with a tortured soul, bloody and clinging desperately to life. It hurt just to look at her in this form.

"I need to go," Dash explained quickly, not truly wanting to break free from Tara's grasp out of fear of never retaining it. She could see that Tara was trying to protest, but lacked the strength to do so. Her friend had never looked so desperate. "I'm going to get the Korbalovs. They'll know what to do. They'll fix you right up. Everything will be fine."

"No, no, no," Tara said weakly. She gave a tug on Dash's arm so pathetic that it might as well have been from a two year-old. She didn't want Dash to leave her. She needed her to stay by her side. Even though she never wished to admit it, she didn't want to face the possibility of dying alone. "It's alright. It's all alright. I'm fine. In fact, I…" Tara paused, realization dawning on her. "I can't… I can't feel anything, actually..."

Tara lingered on this thought for an eternity. She suddenly realized that she was being honest. She could feel the tingling of blood leaving her body, but felt nothing resembling pain. There were no aches or screams of agony or stinging sensations running throughout her system. She just felt weak, as if someone was draining the life directly out of her. She quickly made the connection. After all, she had been shot before. She knew what it should have felt like. She recalled it being the most excruciating experience of her life. And yet now, after being shot again, she felt numb, and tired, and weak.

Tara realized that she was dying.

Dash knelt down beside her, unsure of what to do. She knew she needed to run to get help. Only that would save Tara's life, but she couldn't find the strength to leave. No matter how crucial it would be, she lacked the courage to leave her friend's side. In fact, she didn't want to leave. She never wanted to leave. The world was slipping out from under her, and the closest thing she had to an anchor was falling with it. It seemed impossible, unreal even, but she could see the defeat in Tara's eyes. Dash felt like it was her responsibility almost, to stay by Tara's side. And for that, she could never dream of leaving.

Neither of them could bear to share tears, and neither one of them said anything for a while. There was nothing left to say. For all of the things Dash could think to say in her entire life, none of them could stave off death. If such words existed, she felt like she would have known about them. It would have saved so much suffering over her life. Yet she was helpless as she watched Tara slowly bleed out. Tara herself was actually surprised. She had always imagined that when she died, her mind would be fraught with remorse for all of the things she was never able to do. She had imagined that her thoughts would be consumed by her friends and family, the people who cared the most about her. She still thought of these things now, except it wasn't in remorse. It was not in fear, or despair, or any emotion that she had anticipated. No, perhaps the most frightful thing of all was that she felt completely and utterly calm. Her mind was at ease. The knowledge of what was about to happen to her wasn't worrying at all. She just accepted it, like the most basic, inescapable truth. She would have liked to think that she would have fought death to the very end, push on to live no matter what the cost. However, the sad truth was that she had no energy to fight, or to fear, or to worry. So she just sat there against the wall, feeling her life fade away.

No one was sure how long had passed before Tara spoke. "I… I did it."

Dash was snapped out of her daze. She looked back at Tara, who had a faint smile on her face. She looked at Dash like a child trying to earn the respect of their parent. "I… I fired a gun at the bad guy. I… I stopped him."

Dash stared at Tara with a sense of wonder. She truly had no idea what she was supposed to say at something so irrelevant. However, she couldn't help but smile as well. "Yeah. You did. Now I can finally tell the others you stopped being a little bitch about killing people."

Tara let out a soft chuckle. "Yeah, I… I actually wasn't a failure for once. Isn't that something?"

Dash's smile faded. She couldn't bear hearing Tara say anything negative about herself; it only made everything hurt more. "You're not a failure, Spark. Your aim just sucks. Next week, once you're all better, I'm gonna need to take you to a shooting range or something."

Tara briefly looked away. Her words verged between humorous and sorrowful. "I… uh… think I'll have to take a rain check on that. I… I don't really think I'll be… around to do that."

"Come on, Spark. Don't say things like that. Everything… everything will be fine. Learn to listen to me, for Christ's sake."

Tara smiled to herself. She never realized how wonderful Dash could actually be sometimes. Even in the most dire times, she still tried to make everything seem just alright.

"Dash, I…" Tara choked out. She could feel the water in her eyes. "…I just want to say… thank you… for everything."

Dash, for what had to be the fifth time that day, had no response. "What are you thanking me for? I… I've done nothing but hurt you for as long as I've known you."

"No, you haven't," Tara spoke honestly. "You… you made me see everything differently. Before I met you, I was… well, close-minded, I guess. I barely talked to anyone else, I thought everyone was… beneath me, and… I just wasn't really a good person. Do you have any idea how horrible I realized I was after coming here? It was like you said… change your perspective on the world."

"Bullshit," Dash said hastily. She squeezed Tara's hand a bit tighter. "I didn't do any of that. That was you who became better. You're the one who's intelligent. You're the one who people trust to lead them. You're the one who has a bright future ahead of her. I… I don't get better. After all the shit I've been through, I haven't even changed at all. I'm still just—"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," Tara said sternly. Dash looked at her in surprise. For a moment, Tara almost sounded like herself. The dying girl took a deep breath. "However you do think of yourself, please stop it. I want you to listen to me, because I'm being one hundred percent honest with you. You are one of the greatest people that I've ever met. You're honest with people. You're strong, and courageous, and I know that deep down, you're actually one of the kindest people I know. You don't give up on people, and I will be dammed if you end up giving up on yourself."

Tara let out a sharp gasp. She could feel herself growing weaker by the moment. A tear fell from her eye, and Dash squeezed her hand tighter. "Rebecca, just… promise me something, will you? Promise me that… that you won't give up on your life; that you'll continue to live on, and keep fighting, no matter what. And… and please stop thinking about yourself like that, like you're worthless. You mean so much to so many people. You need to make something of your future for not just them, but yourself. You… you can promise me that, right?"

"I…" Dash stammered. She closed her eyes, and turned away. It felt like a sword was jammed into her heart. She did not want to face reality. She couldn't bear to do it. Finally, after several painstakingly silent moments, she sighed, and turned towards Tara, looking her directly in the eyes. "I… I promise, Spark. I'll do whatever it takes."

Tara smiled faintly once more. "Thanks. Also… when you see the others… can you just… just tell them I'm sorry, will you? Tell them I'm sorry for… for everything. Just tell them that."

Dash nodded. She refused to speak anymore. Tara sighed with relief. Her time was short, and only growing shorter. Soon, there would be nothing left to give. With the last of her energy, she grabbed onto Dash's arm with both arms, and pulled her into a tight hug. Tears were streaming down her face, and a small stream of blood poured from her lips. She closed her eyes, and held Dash close to her. It may have been the softest hug she had ever experienced. And then, she leaned into Dash's ear, and whispered quietly,

"You're going to do great things someday, Rebecca. I just know it."

Dash said nothing. She just held onto her friend with all of her strength. She lost track of time in her embrace. Whether seconds had passed or just minutes, Dash was unsure. For all she knew, hours could have gone by. Time became one continuous blur, individual moments were forever lost. All that was important to Dash was to hold onto Tara for as long as possible. Sometime when she hadn't noticed, Tara's grip faded, and her arms fell limp to the ground. At some point, Tara looked at an insignificant spot on the floor, and continued to stare at it with an empty gaze. Even though Dash had no idea when, Tara had drawn one final breath, and faded away. None of it mattered. Dash kept holding on.

Eventually, Dash had to let go. Her mind was completely blank, and she shed no tears. She examined Tara's lifeless face, checking for any last signs that she was still with her.

"Spark?" Dash asked quietly. Tara refused to meet her eyes. "Hey Spark? Can you hear me? Come on, Spark… say something."

Dash knew there would be no response. No matter how much she begged or pleaded, nothing was going to change the truth. She didn't feel hateful or bitter or saddened by any of it. She only felt empty as the denial faded away, and she finally accepted reality.

Tara Sullivan was dead.

Dash brought a hand to the corpse, and gently shut its eyes. She had seen that done in plenty of movies, so she thought it seemed rather appropriate for the time. Taking a deep breath, Dash rose to her feet. She looked at the ruin around her. She was in the company of the dead, and it never seemed more fitting. She knew what she had to do. She had responsibility, after all. Using what was left of her energy; she picked up the body of her former friend, and carried it outside of the base.

The sun was finally setting over the horizon. The incredible mixture of colors would have been enough to lighten the mood of any weary individual. However, Dash refused to look at the sky. She couldn't handle any form of beauty at the moment. She simply looked ahead into the distance, where she could see two large men carrying an unconscious body into a large vehicle.

Dash felt absolutely nothing as she marched towards the vehicle, and carried her friend home.

End of Chapter 12