[ She seems to be coming back here an awful lot. Which ... maybe for some other person in another time ( not her, not anymore ), it wouldn't be all bad. The Empty Set isn't a hellish landscape, let alone a place of battle. The silence is strange, but only because it's a stage — she looks around, searching for the source of music, then—
It's a reminder that this place has nothing for her. Not anymore. Not after this.
She reaches for Boxer's hand the same time he reaches for her's, as if to remind herself of what is real. She hears Boxer's voice, from further away — right on the stage, in fact — and then her's, tense and angry. Both of their eyes on Sybil, who watches, impassive. She only shakes herself out of staring when she feels the tug on her hand. The voice, closer this time, asking her just what she'd expect — to leave. She knows that neither of them need to see this again. Richie doesn't need to see this ever.
So, Red reaches for Richie's wrist; to tug him back, as if it's a chain. Just as Grant raises the glowing weapon in his hand to throw it across the room, just as Boxer on stage pushes the Red on stage back, just as the Transistor meets Boxer's torso, seems to slide in, as if its a knife cutting through butter—
Then, nothing.
She braces herself for what's coming up next — what she isn't prepared for is having the light of the building behind her. To see the familiar but definitely not welcome glow of the Transistor right in front of her. Boxer's dead body. She flinches ( more of a reaction than the first time ), backwards as if it's like a sucker punch to the gut — just as a static voice fills the rest of the silence.
"Red, where are you? Where are you, where are you... Don't be gone, please don't be gone, I can't—
The hand holding Boxer's tightens. Not again, not again, not again— ]
tagging this now is a mistake yet here we are
It's a reminder that this place has nothing for her. Not anymore. Not after this.
She reaches for Boxer's hand the same time he reaches for her's, as if to remind herself of what is real. She hears Boxer's voice, from further away — right on the stage, in fact — and then her's, tense and angry. Both of their eyes on Sybil, who watches, impassive. She only shakes herself out of staring when she feels the tug on her hand. The voice, closer this time, asking her just what she'd expect — to leave. She knows that neither of them need to see this again. Richie doesn't need to see this ever.
So, Red reaches for Richie's wrist; to tug him back, as if it's a chain. Just as Grant raises the glowing weapon in his hand to throw it across the room, just as Boxer on stage pushes the Red on stage back, just as the Transistor meets Boxer's torso, seems to slide in, as if its a knife cutting through butter—
Then, nothing.
She braces herself for what's coming up next — what she isn't prepared for is having the light of the building behind her. To see the familiar but definitely not welcome glow of the Transistor right in front of her. Boxer's dead body. She flinches ( more of a reaction than the first time ), backwards as if it's like a sucker punch to the gut — just as a static voice fills the rest of the silence.
"Red, where are you? Where are you, where are you... Don't be gone, please don't be gone, I can't—
The hand holding Boxer's tightens. Not again, not again, not again— ]