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Flux picked up the pace, jogging to keep up with Saps. His white, long braid bounced in time with his steps. Absentmindedly, Flux noticed it was in need of a rebraid, loose and messy from Saps’ stunt in prison. Idiot, he smiled to himself. He should’ve known that Saps would cause trouble the moment he arrived. He was surprised that Saps had escaped at all, well, considering.
The giddiness faded shortly after as distant shouts sounded behind them. He broke into a run, risking a glance back. “Fuck,” he muttered, several of Solev’s armored guards chasing after them.
“Saps,” He warned, a desperate plea intertwining with his voice.
Dread settled in his stomach as he watched Saps’ realization and shouts of “It wasn’t me!” fill the air. The guards gained ground, passing him as Saps frantically veered into a house and trapped himself.
They were supposed to lay low. Build a life with their restaurant. Together. On the same side. After last time–
Flux shuddered, breaking out of his thoughts as Saps’ limbs were caught and stretched along with the guards’ ropes. “This isn’t right, man,” Flux shouted, rummaging in his inventory for something, anything that could help as he kept pace with the guards.
Grasping for straws, Flux yelled, “Saps, my lawyer– this is– they’re not allowed to do this!” It was like Flux was invisible.
He was angry at himself, at Solev, maybe even a little at Saps for being so reckless. “It wasn’t me! I’m innocent,” Saps’ voice cracked, an upset whine accenting the end of his sentence. Flux, still keeping pace, managed to make eye contact. Just as he had expected, Saps’ eyes were glistening with tears, reality visibly setting in. There was no way Saps would be able to escape prison a second time, and they both knew it.
He knew that Saps wouldn’t let a tear fall, his brave facade holding true. Still, Flux’s heart practically tore itself out of his chest at the sight. It was all going wrong. Again.
Despite both Flux and Saps’ pleas, Saps was dragged into the prison again with the bystanders whispering loudly, spreading the news like wildfire.
Flux marched behind the posse, only to be stopped with a hand on his chest. Eyes narrowing, Flux argued with the guards at the entrance, “Please, let me in– better yet, tell Solev that Fluixon wants to–”
“Back up,” a guard hit him in the arm, the force of the baton throwing Flux to the ground.
“Glory to Imperia,” the guard mocked. Flux stood, ignoring the pain radiating throughout his arm. He sniffed, turning to pace outside the prison at a respectable distance. He hid his shaking hands joined behind his back. Strategy, he reminded himself. His mind ran through various plans, but he quickly realized that most of them were impossible with the little help or gear he had. “God damnit,” Flux groaned, angrily pulling at his strands of hair.
After what felt like mere seconds of waiting, there was a public chat message about a public execution–the clearing filled with outraged and confused chatter, quickly followed by the same team of guards with Saps pinned in the middle. Only now, his cheeks were red and streaked with tear tracks, his clothes torn and dirty. “What the hell,” Flux blinked, “What the hell!” Anger surged at the sight of his friend. How dare they. They hurt him, beat him up and humiliated him. Over snowballs.
In his stupor, the posse had made its way onto the ice lake and a barrier was already being erected between the guards and the citizens. Flux pushed his way to the front, frantically craning his head to get a glimpse of Saps trapped behind the guards. “Don’t do this to him,” he pleaded, only for the guards to scoff at him.
There wasn’t anything he could do as they lined up, weapons loaded with fireworks. “You bastards,” Flux choked, his hoarse voice breaking.
Solev was speaking, standing on a dirt tower to his right, but everything was muffled as Flux pushed the people around him to get a better angle. His heart stopped as he finally saw Saps. His dark eyes were wide, tears continuing to stream down his pale face. His mouth was twisted in grief and his hands were shaking as he lifted yet another snowball to chuck at the president.
The firing squad lifted their crossbows.
“No, no, no, don't do it yet!” Saps was barely holding his composure, sobs erupting between words.
God, he couldn’t do this.
Flux screwed his eyes shut, taking a shuddering breath.
It felt like the universe was against him. Against them. Luminara was still fresh, the things he had to do for justice irreparable–at least, in that world. This was supposed to be different. A clean slate. He had put Saps first. Their life together. It was supposed to be them against the world.
His despair shifted to fury. The government was to blame. Their so-called democracy was a dictatorship, with the president having such a big ego that execution was the common punishment. He should’ve known to stay away from Solev. There was a reason they weren’t on speaking terms.
The air was suddenly filled with uproar, a mix between the fireworks exploding and the crowd’s exclamations. Flux blinked angry tears back, helplessly standing in place while Saps’ body disappeared from sight.
Seconds passed.
The crowd pushed him out of the quarry, his feet moving without his command. As he emerged, Flux took a glance backwards–TripleLion was waving Saps’ decapitated head around, cheers erupting among the guards.
Minutes passed.
They killed him right in front of me.
Right in front of me.
I had a lawyer.
They can’t be doing this.
He threw snowballs. That’s it.
Distantly, he registered that people were staring. Was he speaking out loud? That didn’t matter, he shook his head. He had work to do, he reminded himself as he dug through his chests haphazardly.
The world would never be fair with war-hungry power figures–he knew it last time, and it had happened again here. “Glory to Imperia my ass,” he thought, fists clenching. They were going to pay. Corruption would end with Aculon, even if he died trying.