Chapter Text
Sixth Street was usually a very casual, cozy place, with most days being entirely uneventful. That was one of the solaces the residents took pride in, especially with the hectic life that surrounded them in New Eridu.
For Vivian, this was no different. She was happy to be visiting the street as was so usual for her, as the street housed her favorite store in all of New Eridu: Random Play. However, before she could open the door to the building, it swung open, and a young woman shoved Vivian to the side, running off. She was clutching what Vivian recognized was a signed copy of The Port Peak, the same movie she and Belle had watched in theaters.
“H-Hey!” Heddy shouted, following the woman outside, before stopping, short of breath. “You can’t just steal that!”
As if something clicked in Vivian, she immediately sprinted off after the woman upon hearing Heddy confirm that the girl was a thief.
Turning right behind Waterfall Soup, Vivian could see the girl slow to a walk down the alleyway, thinking she was in the clear. Taking her chance, Vivian swiftly and quietly closed the distance, before rashly trying to grab the tape from the thief’s grasp.
“Wh- Hey!” the girl shouted, shoving Vivian off her. Vivian clutched the handle of her parasol with her other hand, not releasing the tape despite the push. She couldn’t unsheath her blade in this position, but she didn’t need it to handle a petty unarmed thief, in over their head. The girl continued yelling at Vivian, “Let go!”
“That doesn’t belong to you,” Vivian said coldly. “It belongs to the Manager!”
Despite her best efforts, the girl was able to struggle hard enough to get out of Vivian’s hold. With her hand free, Vivian reached to unsheathe her blade, looking down to her parasol.
Bang!
Vivian blinked, feeling an intense, searing hot blow to her lower torso. She was unsheathing her blade, but she suddenly fumbled, feeling the wind knocked out of her. The air was filled with a deafening crack from the noise, and she could feel the ringing reverberate in her skull. She looked back to herself, and could see a deep scarlet soak into the white of her dress. Her body was recoiling, but her mind had yet to catch up with what just transpired.
Is that blood…? she thought, slowly touching the spot, feeling a slick wetness coat her fingers. The warm sensation ebbed outwards, like ink spilled from an inkwell. She looked back to her assailant, who was wide-eyed, holding a smoking gun from under her jacket. And with as little ceremony as was given to the gunshot, the woman silently dashed away, without the tape in hand.
Vivian motioned to continue giving chase, feeling fully capable, before her body gave out on her. With a sudden sense of tunnel vision, Vivian, growing pale, could feel her knees buckle from under her weight. She could feel numerous beads of cold sweat adorn her features, but she could barely move. Without meaning to let go, her parasol fell to the ground with a harmless thud. She knew something was wrong immediately. Every nerve in her was screaming at her that something was completely and utterly wrong. Her vision was spotty, and she felt a looming sense of vertigo. She took a step forward, but the alley narrowed to a tunnel in her vision; the ground came rushing up to meet her.
Belle turned the corner around Waterfall Soup in a full on sprint. She was not an athlete, much less a runner, but she already had an awful feeling about the severity of this.
“Was that a gunshot?!” she could hear Heddy call out behind her as the sound reverberated through the street. Even General Chop was leaving his stall to investigate, a phone in hand to call emergency services, but Belle paid him no attention as she sprinted by.
She almost didn’t recognize what she was seeing at first.
Vivian was on the ground.
Her parasol was discarded to the side, out of Vivian’s reach, and the white of her dress was ruined- the normally white sections were soaked through in a dark red that spread across the pavement in a widening halo.
And beside her-
The tape.
It lay there peacefully, case cracked in the corner, smudged with blood.
Belle exhaled forcefully, a breathless sound as she struggled to understand the scene.
“Vivian-!?”
Belle sprinted to Vivian’s side, kneeling down. Vivian stirred upon hearing her name.
“Lord Phaethon…” she called. She was whispering, but Belle could still hear the sweetness resound in her weak greeting. She spoke casually, as though she was greeting Belle over the counter.
Belle almost choked on her words. “What happened?!” she demanded, but the words came out thinly. Her hands hovered uselessly, before meeting Vivian’s own, cold and trembling faintly.
Vivian’s tone drooped. “The tape… she dropped it…” she groaned, pointing.
Belle almost choked.
Even now.
Even now, Vivian was still fixated on the tape.
“I’m sorry,” Vivian apologized through a bated breath, and Belle could feel her vision blur in response.
“Don’t apologize,” Belle said sharply, almost snapping. She could almost laugh at the absurdity of Vivian’s priorities. “Don’t you dare apologize.” She turned Vivian over, giving her a brief look over, searching for the wound to put pressure on.
Vivian tried to push herself up, but could barely get herself up more than a few inches before her arms gave away from under her, hissing. “I can… stand,” she lied, trying her best to minimize her injuries.
“You are not standing.”
The edges of Vivian’s mouth turned downwards, frowning at the inconvenience disappointing Belle. The alley’s lights flickered on in the evening light. Under their glow, Belle could realize just how pale Vivian’s skin was. Vivian suddenly shivered.
“It’s… so cold…” she whispered.
Belle felt her stomach drop. She pushed harder on Vivian’s wound, desperation clawing at the edges of her mind.
“Stay awake, Vivian,” Belle pleaded. “Just look at me. Don’t close your eyes, okay?” She tried her best to apply pressure to the wound, but she could feel herself useless against the steady stream of blood spilling out.
Vivian blinked slowly, trying to focus her vision on Belle
“I didn’t know she had a gun…” Vivian said, almost embarrassed. Her hands tugged weakly at Belle’s sleeve, her fingers twitching slightly. “I thought… it would be simple.”
“...Belle…”
Belle froze.
She didn’t say Lord Phaethon. She didn’t refer to her as Manager. Just Belle. Something Vivian so rarely ever did.
“I just… wanted to help you…” Vivian admitted.
Belle had to choke back a sob forming at the back of her throat. “You did,” she said boldly. “You always do,” she repeated.
Vivian’s lips curved as she tried to smile- a faint, fragile smile that lasted just a fleeting moment.
“...Don’t be upset, Belle.”
“I’m not upset,” Belle lied, sniffing.
Vivian exhaled softly; her grip disappeared as she let go of Belle’s sleeve. The light in her eyes dulled as her focus appeared to move past Belle, slipping away.
“Vivian?”
There was no response. Belle breathed shakily. This felt familiar. Too familiar. But there was no corruption to be undone this time. There was just a gunshot wound, and a puddle of blood that was already soaking into the cement.
“Vivian.”
Belle shook at Vivian gently. No response. She shook a little harder. Vivian’s arm fell limply to the ground.
“Vivian!”
Her voice cracked, as her world shattered. She pressed down harder without thinking, her palms wet and stained red. But it was useless.
“Wake up. Vivian,” she cried. “Wake up! Please, please, wake up!”
“Belle!”
Wise’s voice cut through the ringing in her ears. She hadn’t even heard him approach. She hadn’t expected anyone to approach.
He knelt down on Vivian’s other side, scanning over her condition, her wound. His eyes widened, but his hands didn’t shake.
“Is she breathing?” he asked.
Belle didn’t know what to say.
“Belle.” Firmer this time, snapping her out of it.
“Yes- I- I think so-” Belle attempted to answer, her words tangled.
Wise leaned down, pressing two fingers to Vivian’s neck. He waited a few seconds. To Belle, it felt like he waited an hour.
“Her pulse is steady,” he muttered. “Don’t let up. We need pressure here,” he instructed. “Harder.”
“I know!” Belle snapped, feeling hysteria creeping in.
Wise softened his voice a bit. “I know,” he said, gently. “You’re doing good. Keep talking to her.”
Belle swallowed hard.
“Vivian,” she said, her mouth dry. “You’re not allowed to do this to me. Do you hear me?” She was desperate for Vivian to respond. Vivian would never let those words slide, were she awake. Belle would give anything for a response.
But she received nothing.
Wise suddenly grabbed Belle’s wrist, repositioning her hand more precisely over the wound. “There. Like that. Don’t move. No compressions, just a steady pressure,” he said, his jaw tightening. “She’s lost a lot of blood, Belle.”
The words hit Belle like a second gunshot. She shook her head violently. “No, she- she hasn’t! She’s strong, she’ll be okay- She’ll-”
“She is strong,” Wise interrupted gently. “So we need to stay strong for her.”
There was shouting in the distance, now. Belle could hear General Chop guiding paramedics over. Sirens were blaring in the distance, getting closer.
Belle leaned in close to Vivian, nearly touching her forehead to Vivian’s.
“You said you wanted to help me,” Belle pleaded. “So please don’t leave me. You can’t die, you just can’t.”
For a moment, there was no response. Just silence. But then, Vivian inhaled shallowly, faintly. So faintly that Belle would have missed it, had her brother not caught it for her.
“She’s still alive, Belle.”
Before Belle could process his words, paramedics rushed onto the scene, converging over Vivian, gently pushing Belle to the side. Belle almost protested, but Wise put his hand on her shoulder, shaking his head at her, quietly signalling to her to not intervene. Belle felt her head aching, especially now that she was on the sidelines, unable to do anything more. A paramedic quietly picked up the tape and handed it to Belle, who wordlessly clutched it like it was Vivian herself. Hoisting Vivian on a girder, putting her under oxygen, they carried her away. Belle immediately stood up, intending to follow, but Wise grabbed her by the arm.
“Let go of me-” Belle protested, but Wise shook his head. “She’s right there, I can’t just let her leave!”
“Belle.”
Belle tried to shake herself from Wise’s hold on her arm, but he didn’t let up. “Wise! I just-!”
“Belle, we’ll follow them to the hospital.”