Chapter 34 part 1

I don't usually do TW's at the beginning of chapters (since they're mentioned in the info) but this chapter contains gore and mention of very violent actions. Be cautious as you continue.

Matias

His vision had been almost completely covered with red, Meera's powers covering his body completely. His body was going numb as his blood flow was cut off due to her tight grip.

Not matter how much he struggled, he couldn't get free.

And he had accepted that.

He was sure he was going to die.

That was until all the pressure was suddenly lifted and all the red strings not only on him but also everywhere else dropped limply to the ground. All the sound of banging and cluttering stopped, the road growing deathly silent.

Matias watched in curiosity as all the thin red strings of Meera's power evaporated into nothing, disappearing like it was never there.

When he finally looked up, pulled out of his daze, he saw Samuel swaying uneasily.

"Samuel?" He whispered, his voice mostly breath.

He stood up from the ground to get a better view, but he wasn't prepared for what he would see.

Meera was laid out of the road. Her face was covered in blood to the point of being unrecognizable and her body was turned in an awkward way that no living person would ever be laid.

Around her was a pool of blood, growing slowly.

Matias's eyes glued to the sight. He forgot anything else even existed until he heard a gag come from beside him.

Samuel was now bent over with a hand to his mouth. Sounds of dry heaving filled the silence followed by broken sobs.

"Samuel" Matias muttered once more, but his voice was so broken and quiet Samuel couldn't have possibly heard it.

"I-I didn't" Samuel wept, his voice filled with nothing but terror. "It was.. it was a-an accident"

He lifted his head to look at Matias, his face distorted. Tears streamed down his cheeks and his whole body was shaking uncontrollably. The sight was ugly, there was no denying, but Matias felt nothing but sympathy.

Matias tried to offer some kind of comfort but his mouth wouldn't form the words and his legs wouldn't allow him to walk. He just stood and stared at Samuel in his broken condition.

"Mat-" Samuel tried to go on, but was interrupted but a loud bang.

Matias's eyes went blurry as they followed the sound, his body jolting to face the building on the other side of the road.

Beside the building, at the entrance of an alley, stood Guzantee.

He had a gun in his hand, still pointed in Matias's direction. The trigger wasn't pulled again, though. Guzantee just stood there.

Matias stared at him for at least thirty more seconds, long enough for him to let the gun fall to his side, before he pieced it together.

He turned on his heel so fast his head pounded and his vision faded in and out for a quick moment.

He knew instantly how grave of a mistake he made. He knew he would forever regret turning around to see that sight.

Samuel was no longer standing like he was before.

Now he was laid on the ground with blood surrounding him.

It wasn't like Meera, though. He wasn't mangled and disturbing. You could believe he was sleeping based on how he was laid. That was, if you could ignore the bullet hole square in the middle of his forehead.

Matias didn't remember moving, but the next thing he knew he was right beside Samuel. He was knelt down into the puddle of blood and he had to fight the severe shaking in his arms so he could lift Samuel by his shoulders.

"Samuel" he spoke so low his voice sounded distorted. Disembodied, even.

Samuels face was covered in a layer of red and his hair was sticky with it. His eyes were open and bloodshot, tears still wet on his cheeks. As Matias tried to run his hand through his hair it kept getting caught and he was only left with a blood covered hand.

Matias wasn't sure what he did next. He remembered holding onto Samuel for some time, but he wasn't sure how long.

He vaguely remembered yelling. The screams didn't sound like his own. They were broken and desperate. They were sad and vulnerable. They weren't Matias, he decided. It couldn't have been him.

By the time he calmed enough to stand he had dried blood all over his shirt and still wet blood on his knees and hands.

His knees almost gave out and he was a bit surprised that they didn't. He stared at his hands as hot red liquid dripped from them.

His face was covered in tears and snot, but he didn't dare wipe it. He had hairs sticking to his forehead and getting in his eyes but he didn't even try and sway them off.

He didn't know what he was doing when he started walking towards the alley where he saw Guzantee. He had not the slightest hint of a plan. Guzantee was gone, but that didn't stop Matias.

His tears stopped coming and all the paid and discomfort in his body vanished. It was like he was a machine or some kind of remote controlled robot. He wasn't thinking. He barely even realized he was moving.

That was until Guzantee came into sight.

"You bastard" he spat, moving forward to attack.

Before he was able to do anything multiple pairs of arms seized him and held him back. As he struggled he realized there were four grabbing onto him and four more blocking any potential exit.

He eventually went limp, realizing how little he could do. His hands twitched and his jaw was shut tight, but he did nothing.

As he looked at Guzantee he saw how red his face was and the dried tears that remained on his cheeks.

Matias realized for the first time that Guzantee was upset too. He just lost someone he loved too.

Matias didn't feel bad, though. Not even in the slightest.

"Let him go" Guzantee ordered with a confident voice.

He didn't seem to be in pain. His face was the only sign of grief.

The four let go of Matias and retreated back to join the others in guarding the exits.

Matias wasn't sure why he wasn't doing anything. He wanted to shoot Guzantee like Guzantee had shot Samuel. He wanted to hit him over the head with a rock, like what had been done to him. Hell, he wanted to punch him and scratch him and pluck his eyes out their socket.

No matter what he wanted to do, however, he stayed put.

"I assume your little boyfriend told you all about how you really became the cities 'villain', correct?" Guzantee asked in an unchanging and monotone voice.

His words were like knives to Matias's heart. They made him want to scream and cry all over again. However, it was like there was some kind of invisible force holding him back. Something that made him behave the opposite of how he wanted.

He couldn't speak, so Matias just nodded.

"Perfect, so you can probably fill in the gaps of how we knew you two would be here"

Matias nodded calmly despite the thousand thoughts going through his head.

Why had he never considered that Guzantee was still watching them? Why did he just assume he was in the clear? Matias cursed himself, his mind begging his body to have some kind of reaction, but he did nothing.

He began to feel cruel for being so relaxed after something so terrible. The steadiness of his hands—not fidgeting or shaking— and the firmness of his posture felt like a punishment from god.

"You see what happens, Matias, when you fuck with me?" Guzantee spat.

Shivers went down Matias's spine at the mention of his name.

"That was years ago" Matias mumbled.

He knew he was wrong for stealing and betraying Guzantee all that time ago. But surely everything that happened couldn't have been because of that. Surely Guzantee couldn't be that bitter about it.

"And that makes it better?" Guzantee asked in a mocking tone. "You stole thousands of dollars worth of shit from me. You killed one of my men. You injured many more"

Matias felt like he could've dropped dead then and there. He felt and overwhelming hatred accompanied by grief, but he also felt guilty.

He didn't want to feel bad for Guzantee or any of his fuckup lackeys. He didn't want to have the smallest ounce of sympathy for them.

But he did.

"I know what I did" Matias spoke louder than he had been before, uncertainty trailing through his voice.

"And yet you don't show any regret" Guzantee argued back.

Matias paused. He wasn't sure what to say. He wasn't even sure what Guzantee was trying to do.

"Why are you saying all this?" Matias asked in an embarrassingly meek voice.

Guzantee raised an eyebrow, but the small smirk that planted itself on his face never left.

"You and all your men have weapons. You could've killed me long ago. So why haven't you? Why are you still talking about all this with me?" Matias asked, practically begging for some kind of answer.

Guzantee shrugged. The gesture infuriated Matias, but once again he stayed still.

"I suppose I was trying to see if you regret anything you've done. If you feel any remorse"

Matias felt a headache grow in the back of his head. Once again he was aware of his heart rate, his awkward breathing pattern, and the shaking in his hands and knees.

The feeling was awful, painful even, but Matias couldn't help but feel a bit of relief. He knew he was at least not a terrible person if he felt bad. If he felt grief.

"But," Guzantee began again, "if you're desperate.." he trailed off, raising his gun and pointing it right at Matias's chest.

He seemed a bit disappointed when Matias didn't react. His lip curved down slightly and his eyebrows shifted.

"Let's make it interesting" he spoke once more. "I'll give you ten seconds to run, and then they'll have to chase you." He gestured to the people blocking the exits "If you can get away then I'll leave you alone. I'll never bother you again." He explained smugly, his smile returning.

The eight people blocking the three exits all moved over.

"Ten" Guzantee began.

"Nine"

Matias stayed still. His hands were balled into fists so tight his nails broke skin.

"Eight" he went on. "You might want to get going"

Matias looked down. He couldn't bring himself to look at Guzantee any longer. Not knowing he was the one who killed Samuel.

"Seven... six"

Guzantee's voice got more and more articulate and impatient.

"Five.. four"

He raised his gun again, adjusting the aim as if trying to intimidate Matias.

"Three"

"Two"

Matias never did like running. Especially when he was running away from some pricks who wanted him dead.

And so he didn't.

"One"

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THE FINALE!!

I've waited SO LONG to write this chapter (I'm so sorry)

(ps. If you're interested in reading another story by me there is another one being planned right now!)