Chapter Text
The world plunged into chaos and darkness, as if the shadows had swallowed the last remnants of civilization.
It all began suddenly and swiftly: first, rare cases of a mysterious disease that turned people into bloodthirsty creatures. Small news reports that only kept saying: "The situation is under control," "Laboratories are already working on a vaccine."
Within a week, the wave of infected had flooded cities and states, turning once-thriving streets into empty labyrinths of death.
People rushed through the streets in a frenzy, weapons in hand, trying to figure out who was infected and who could still be saved.
Screams and the wail of sirens filled the streets. Ambulances, whose paramedics still hoped to do something. Police officers repeating, "Stay calm." Firefighters catching citizens driven mad by the virus, even though that wasn't their job at all.
NERO helicopters circled over the rooftops like hawks, trying to take on board as many survivors as possible and evacuate them to a field camp outside the city.
---
A staircase. A narrow fire escape. It feels endless, like it leads straight down into the hell unfolding on the roof and beyond.
The lower floors are engulfed in flames.
The fistfight turned into a shootout, and then Molotov cocktails came into play. The exits are blocked; the only way to survive is to go up, if you have the courage to jump to the next building.
"Oscar... Oscar..." He wants to shout, but only a pitiful wheeze escapes his throat. "Just wait, will you!"
"We don't have time, Lando. We have to get out of this burning cage." And as much as he wants to stop and pull him close to his chest, he knows that would only doom them both.
"Damn it, Oscar, I can't walk...! Why are you running so fast..." The wound in his side pulses, making it impossible to move his feet up the steps.
"Oscar, pick him up!" Max shouts from the landing above. Oscar can barely hear him.
Lando presses his hand to the wound, hoping to stop the bleeding, but it only seems to make things worse. Pulling the knife out definitely hadn't been the best idea. His legs no longer obey him and buckle; his vision darkens, his ears ringing from the cacophony of sounds. He collapses onto a step with a cry, still holding onto the wall with his other hand.
"Better to die in a burning building than wait to be eaten alive," Lando thinks.
"Oscar! Don't just stand there frozen, pick him up, now!" Max repeats, louder, knowing every second counts.
Oscar finally makes out Max's words in the noise and descends a few steps. His eyes scan Lando's pale face, then drop to his bloodied side. Oscar leans down, slipping his trembling hands under his back and knees, trying to be as gentle yet quick as possible.
"Osc... Damn... Leave me, I don't stand a chance..." Lando whispers. He doesn't want Oscar to hear this. "God, I'm so scared..." he says, louder.
"So am I, Curly. So am I." Oscar hopes his husband can hear him. "But what I'm most afraid of is losing you."
Oscar runs up the stairs with his precious burden, taking several steps at a time. Soon he sees an open door held by Charles.
When the Monegasque spots them, his eyes immediately fall on the bloodstain spreading across Lando's sweater, slightly staining Oscar's hoodie.
"Where's Max?" Oscar asks immediately.
"He... He went to scout ahead." Charles is trembling like a leaf. Not knowing what to do with his hands, he reaches for Lando's sweater. "I think we need to bandage his wound before he loses too much blood or... Or..." Panic makes him stutter.
Oscar steps back slightly, preventing Charles from touching.
"We'll find a safe place, and you can help him then. But it's better not to touch it now; dirty hands will only make it worse." Oscar says, trying to remove the panicked edge from his voice.
"Yeah, yeah... You're right." Charles lowers his hands. "Max promised not to go far, so he should be..."
At that moment, Max runs out from around a corner, muttering something under his breath – likely curses. He stops right in front of them, trying to catch his breath.
"There's a helicopter. A NERO helicopter. I know you don't trust those bastards, Oscar. But they have medics; they might be able to do something. Come on, quickly." Max blurts out in one breath.
"It's a shitty option and besides..." Oscar starts, pulling Lando a little closer.
"And I didn't say it was perfect, but it's the only one, and we're out of time. Either we wait for this building to collapse like a house of cards, or we manage to save at least him." Max's voice nearly cracks into a shout. "Follow me."
Charles and Oscar follow the retreating Max without a word. Maybe he's right; there are no other options.
"Osc..." Lando breaks the silence, tugging lightly at Oscar's hoodie strings. "Are you giving me to them?"
"Curly, I..." Oscar starts, but suddenly a powerful blast of wind hits him fully. The rotors are spinning at full power. "Damn, they're about to take off."
"Let them leave. Better to die in Oscar's arms." Lando thinks, clinging tighter to his husband's chest. Tears well up in his eyes at the realization that they'll soon have to part.
"Hey, you up there! Wait!" Max shouts, straining his voice.
"We don't have any more room!" comes the shouted reply.
"We have a wounded man, he's bleeding out, for God's sake! Just take him, I beg you!" Oscar yells.
A doctor in a hazmat suit looks at them for a few seconds, then walks into the pilot's cabin.
"No, Osc, I'm begging you, no..." Lando sobs openly. "Don't leave me, please, I can't do this without you..."
Oscar slightly shifts his hold on his husband so Lando can look into his eyes.
"Curly, I know, I know you're scared, but..." Oscar's voice breaks from tears. "You'll die without medical help. You'll die in my arms, and I can't survive that..."
"We can take two. Decide quickly." The doctor's voice cuts through the air like a knife. His tone makes it clear – they aren't going to wait.
Without hesitation, Oscar sets Lando into the helicopter. The younger man still clings to his shoulders, refusing to let go. A strange knot forms in Oscar's stomach; a voice in his head whispers terrible possibilities.
"Osc, you're coming with me, right?" Lando looks into his husband's terrifyingly familiar eyes, unwilling to look away.
"I'm coming with you! I'm studying... I studied to be a surgeon!" Charles suddenly shouts, coughing slightly. He's probably inhaled too much carbon monoxide from the fire. Without a second thought, he jumps into the helicopter.
"Charles... You can't just..." Max stares at his boyfriend, dumbfounded.
"I can be useful, Max. They're definitely short on doctors right now..."
Lando, unable to believe what he just heard, looks back at Oscar. He seems to understand that it's decided. And now, sitting in the dusty cabin of the helicopter, one hand pressed to his bloody side, his heart is pounding so hard it might burst from his chest.
Oscar places his hands on Lando's cheeks, gently stroking his cheekbones with his thumbs. He presses his lips to Lando's, which are swollen and bitten. He tastes salt and can no longer tell who is crying; probably both of them.
In that kiss, everything is sealed – the heartbreaking pain of inevitable separation, a soul-crushing tenderness, and most importantly, a promise. A silent promise to find each other and hold on, no matter what.
They part, resting their foreheads against each other. Oscar reaches into his pocket and pulls out two chains with small lockets. They were supposed to spend this evening together, but fate had other plans.
Oscar fastens one chain around Lando's neck, then his own. Inside each locket is a photograph. A photo from their first date.
The Brit is wearing trousers and a sweater. He would later confess that he'd chosen the softest jumper from his entire collection – yes, it's nicer for hugging. Oscar, as usual, is in a hoodie and shorts.
They are both slightly flushed with shyness and already in love, just afraid to admit it. They would later agree that Oscar had chosen the perfect moment for the photo. Lando's eyes are half-closed, his smile wide. Oscar only slightly lifts the corners of his lips, but those tell-tale heart-eyes give him away completely.
"Curly... I will find you. Just believe me, okay?" He showers Lando's face with kisses, as gentle as butterfly wings.
"I believe you, Osc. I'll always believe you..." He clutches the pendant in his free hand, feeling not the cold of the metal, but a phantom warmth. Now, they are bound not only by their wedding rings.
Just a few centimeters away, Max whispers into Charles's lips:
"I'm sorry I didn't get to do all the things I wanted to..."
And Charles whispers back:
"We're not saying goodbye forever, Maxie. You'll still have time to propose." And he laughs, tears streaming down his face.
"Where are you flying to?" Oscar asks the most important question.
"Ten kilometers south of Ferwell, there's a checkpoint. Right past it is the NERO camp. They'll let you through, don't worry." After a second, the doctor adds, "Now, step away from the helicopter, or we won't be able to take off."
Oscar and Max step back without resisting, still staring into the eyes of their lovers. Piastri just manages to read the name on the doctor's badge: "O'Brian."
The helicopter lifts into the air, carrying away a piece of the soul of everyone left behind on that dirty rooftop in the center of the chaos.
And up there, in the sky, Lando and Charles cling to each other, seeking support. The Brit doesn't blame Oscar in the slightest; he trusts him, trusts that he will find him. He also knows Oscar only wanted what was best. Charles just hopes to see Max one more time.
---
As soon as the helicopter becomes just a black dot in the night sky and then vanishes entirely, they snap out of their trance. Max puts a hand on Oscar's shoulder, trying to offer support.
"You know we're going to find them, right?" He says it with confidence.
The building vibrates under their feet, warning of its imminent collapse.
"Only if we don't die ourselves first." Oscar wipes the tears from his eyes, bringing back his usual defiant edge.
"Then we need to get the hell off this roof." His mind frantically searches for options.
"Look, that building is no more than a meter and a half away."
Oscar walks to the edge. Max asks no questions and follows. They both understand – it's the only way.
"Just don't look down," Max says, trying to lighten the mood.
Oscar only answers him with a look, eyes narrowed but full of determination. He gives Max an almost imperceptible nod, as if to signal: "If not now, then never."
They push off from the roof simultaneously. And no, neither of their hearts is pounding; for a few seconds, everything around them falls silent. Landing confidently on the other building, they exchange glances again, telling each other without words: "The worst is yet to come, but we're in this together."