Work Text:
Leonard's world was spinning by in fragments. The feeling of his body moving without his control. Fire. Trees. Knives. Dead archers. Wait. Knives. His knives. The broken melody of a lute slowly coming to an end.
It was this last fragment he latched onto.
“Ostin!”
The world came back into focus.
“You're hurt!” He said, assessing the injuries that covered Ostin.
His knives- oh Dia, his knives-
“D-did I- did I hurt you?”
Ostin shrugged. “Doesn't really matter.”
“Doesn't-” Leonard broke off.
Fire. Fire everywhere. They were in a tree. They were going to die.
“What happened?!”
“Paralyte,” Ostin explained, “she left a failsafe. She was controlling you, Leonard. I was- I was so scared.”
Leonard embraced Ostin. “I'm so sorry…”
Your fault, a voice in his head said, all your fault.
He felt crushed. He'd always known he was useless- but now- but now-
Ostin pulled away, intertwining his fingers when Leonard's.
“Please, no spiraling, love. This isn't how I want our last moments together to be spent.”
“Last moments..?!” Leonard asked.
“Look around you, Leonard.”
He looked around again.
Oh Dia. They were going to die. They were going to die.
“We need to get out!”
“There's no time…” Ostin said, sounding resigned.
“There's always time!” Leonard tugged on Ostin’s arms, trying to drag him towards an exit. He couldn't see an exit- “You make time, Ostin, you always make time! It's what you do!”
“Not this time..” Ostin sighed, holding up his injured hand.
“We can't just-”
“The world is better off without us as Infinights. The interns…they're much more suited to the position.”
“The interns?! They got out?”
“I made sure of it.”
“Are they going to leave us here?”
“I ordered them to.”
They were going to die.
“This is going to hurt, isn't it?” He asked softly.
“I don't know. I've never died.”
“Not have I,” Leonard replied, huffing a laugh.
It was strange how suddenly calm had overtaken him. All his life, he'd been afraid. Even when he was supposed to be a hero, to save people. He'd done it in a cowardly manner.
But now he was fearless in the face of death.
There are worse things than dying next to the person you loved.
They were going to die, he thought one last time as he breathed in smoke, lungs aching, they were going to die.