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This was...a terrible fluke.
It all happened so fast.
Too fast for his liking.
One moment, he's with his team pushing blue, they've been decimating the other paths and decided to make a full assault on it so they could get an easy win going. And once they got towards the blue line's entrance of the Archmother's stronghold...that's when things went wrong. A fog formed out of no where, and then Victor got grabbed from their view. That left them with five- he just heard Paige scream before it was cut off, a sinister laughter filling the air instead.
Four. Four against 6 unless Victor is tearing Bebop to scrap metal by now. Infernus decided to try and encircle themselves in fire, try to cover some ground. Graves was already drawing a line of grasping hands just when the fog cleared and they saw the Drifter beginning to charge. He nearly was over the line till his ankle got snagged by a grasping hand, pulling him to the concrete. Apollo saw the mix of confusion to annoyance and anger, then anxiousness once he saw Infernus right in front of him. The bartender told the rest of us the plan was botched and to run back to base. Apollo was about to object thinking we could salvage it but she was already tugging him back on the blue line.
By that point though, time was moving like a blur for Apollo. One minute, him, Graves, and Wraith are taking the trip back to base to regroup and restock on supplies. The next thing he knew, immense pain in his leg causes him to fall off the line. He landed on concrete, concussed, bleeding, wincing by every sudden movement. The searing pain of a well put bullet hole hindered him to run. He heard a pair of feet land directly next to him with someone calling out to him. He saw a pair of knees in stocking kneel down, with a hand on his back. It was cold. Deathly cold in fact. If he could crack a smile, he'd kiss them right about now.
He was slowly trying to stand back up, seeing the white hair he loved dearly to look at, loving the person connected to it even more as he saw her...worried expression. Worried for his safety above all things right now. His heart fluttered, tail flicked, and his face was becoming even more of a crimson color. Seeing the damage on him however, Graves didn't let it go so easily, wanting a piece of Vindicta for herself. She summoned some more of the undead and tossed a jar of deadheads over towards Vindicta as she descended from the sky. All they heard was her echoing piercing screams while Graves helped him get away from now being mauled apparition.
"Cmon Golden boy. Where's that shining enthusiasm at, huh?" Graves tried to pry at him for a banter, but all she got was winces of pain instead. Her trying smile faltered a bit, but her determination to get him back home wasn't. "Once we get back to base, how bout we get some revenge. Huh?"
"For my leg...for the others..." Apollo said in a raspy tone. But as long as he had energy to keep hobbling about and speaking, they were both happy. The could see their entrance up ahead, just needed to enter in behind the statues, and they're home free. That is until...they heard that voice.
"Ah...what delightful offerings to the incoming god-to-be!" A robotic and staticky voice said towards him. "One social reject with powers only so many sought for. And the royal of a inept militaristic civilization, that'll eventually surrender in the end."
"D-Don't! Talk about my pe-people that way, you monster..." Apollo said, unsheathing his sword and pointing it at Seven, or the ground. He had lost so much energy and blood it was varied. But despite this, the enraged look in Apollo's eyes was enough to have Seven laugh. "W-What's so funny?!" Apollo asked, his anger beginning to show.
"Oh, just that you're going to regret speaking to me in such distasteful language in a minute." Seven said towards them, as more electricity was crackling around him. "For you see...YOU SHALL KNOW MY POWER!"
"Dear Gods..."
"Apollo?! APOLLO WATCH OUT-!"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Wraith found him running on a limping leg as the other trailed behind lifelessly, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. When she got close enough to grab him, she saw his face, his body, everywhere entirely. She tried getting information out of him on what happened, and more importantly, where was Graves. But mention of her name only had silently sob more. Wraith felt the need to not ask anymore questions after that answer, taking the kid to one of the benches to soothe himself up.
He without any retort just went over and collapsed onto the nearest one available. His eyes were beginning to shut. betraying him despite his urge to see her face again. He didn't want to miss it, he wanted to be the first one to see her face, despite the blood loss, despite his injuries still needing to be settled, despite it all; he wanted to see her. He had so many mixed emotions for what has transpired over him for the longest ten minutes he has experiences. Relief was on the top of it all, the biggest wave of it is going to feel so satisfying once she comes back...hopefully.
By now, most of the other team has came back to life, each one giving Apollo a odd look while despite being healed, was looking dead and emotionless as a certain someone. Wraith tried gaining his attention with a card trick, but left immediately to help some teammates on green. Infernus came back from the dead afterwards. He did the routine of healing just a bit more and buying from the shop, but once he rounded the corner to take a line and saw Apollo still moping, he checked up on the royal Ixian for a bit.
"Hey man, chin up. We always can't with a gunfight without those loose screws stirring up some kind of mess, am I right?" Infernus told Apollo, only for the prince to just silently nod back, if you could even call it a nod. "Hm. Ey, April or whatever the hell your name is."
"IT'S-...it's Apollo." Apollo answered calmly, yet the hint of aggravations till plagued his lips. "What did you need sir?"
"Well, you can stop the bullshittin' and tell me why you're mad." Apollo said outright with a bit of a smirk on his face. "We're all used to the fightin at this point. The killin', the pain, and the magic. But what we aren't so keen on seein'? Watching our closest die in front of us." Infernus finished his sentencing, and saw a visible shift in Apollo's body as he finished it, making his smirk shine brighter.
"What're you getting at barkeep?" Apollo said, his eyes narrowing down as he struggles to keep the lids from going down further.
"That grim chick, you two friends or something? She's been sticking close to you like glue ever since this fight." Infernus asked him.
"We're...well acquainted with one another. Afterall, we are lab partners at the same academy." Apollo stated, sitting up a bit further despite the straining on his back. "Also, one of of the few peoples I can state I'd feel safer with around anyone else in the campus. Bunch of moochers only there for my status or wealth." Apollo began to rant. "But Graves...she just doesn't give a damn and wants to know the person."
"Ahh, so oblivious young love." Infernus finally deducted, causing Apollo to try and stand, only for his shot leg to say otherwise. "Ey now. Don't try to bust your ass more than once! Hahaha!" Infernus said towards Apollo, beginning to leave but not before stating something towards him. "Oh right. Uhm, don't be too late ya hear?"
"W-What do you mean, 'too late'?" Apollo asked him.
"You two are far more closer than mere lab partners." Infernus explained. "I can see it, so can Paige, Wraith, and Victor, hell even the enemies think so too. Be thankful people have another chance at life here. But if it wasn't like that...you're gonna feel that regret when she doesn't come back to life."
Apollo was stunned by the level of expertise he had given him. It wasn't going to quell his eagerness to just, hug Graves. But...but knowing that it could've been far, far more worse. He'd at least need to wait abit more before seeing who he's longed to hold, and thank.