2:08 p.m.

Khyber wiped blood out from his eyes, discarding the cracked mask on his face as he dove away from the crackling whip of the Red Angel. He’d lost track of time but it felt like he’d been fighting the Contenders for an age. Rolling onto one arm, he shot a blast of plasma directly from one hand, shooting himself away from an axe blow by the Minotaur while tripping up the Crawler as he crashed through its’ legs. The Crawler crashed to the ground in front of his new position, temporarily obscuring his opponents. Khyber pushed himself back onto his feet, eyes scanning. There wasn’t time to think and he was grateful for that. If he started thinking right now, he’d spend the last minutes of his life in misery. He’d avoided flipping forms to have it end quicker but he couldn’t stop himself from giving his all otherwise.

Not that he’d expected to spend the last moments of his life any other way, but he wanted to go out in defiance. Defiance of the fucking Contenders that had been the bait, the traitors who’d sprung the trap, and most of all the choking, bittersweet melancholy of the last five years.

Don’t start thinking! Khyber screamed at himself as the Crawler righted itself. The Minotaur came bounding over the top and Khyber stepped up to meet it in a savage exchange of blows he cut short to dodge a lunge from the Crawler. Which brought him within range of the Red Angel flapping nearby and he had to duck the crackling whip.

Ignoring the jolt from the electricity coursing through the whip, Khyber caught the weapon on its’ return trip and allowed himself to be yanked along. The Minotaur’s axe sank into the ground right where he’d been standing as Khyber crashed into the left wings of the Red Angel, knocking it to the ground. He came up from the fall firing, giving the charging Crawler a mouth full of plasma as he set his feet to receive another charge by the Minotaur. Khyber wanted to kill that one before the disruptors fell. That small measure of revenge would have to do, as hollow as it felt. Forming a pike of plasma, Khyber set the butt and the Minotaur skidded right to avoid impaling itself on the point. Khyber took advantage, blasting the off-balance Contender into the recovering Red Angel, sending both of them sprawling once more. Khyber closed rapidly with the Crawler, desperately trying to sink into that place where his thoughts truly went away while he fought.

Jump into the Crawler’s mouth, shoot a bolt of plasma down its’ throat, dismount before the reflexive bite can snap down. Spin to sweep out a wave of plasma, duck the lava spray from the Minotaur while closing with the Red Angel, leap high to avoid the follow-up snap of the Crawler. Shoot plasma out of his back to propel him into the Red Angel, use the momentum to slip past its’ defenses, deliver a slice to its eye. Turn to closing Minotaur, re-direct blind swing by the Red Angel towards Minotaur, snap kick Red Angel’s leg to buckle it.

Fall from one leg stance, slice at Crawler’s leg while descending, roll directly under Crawler while it rears away from the attack. Create a spike of plasma, roll away from the descending tons of enraged Crawler, catch axe swing on a shield while listening to the Crawler screech in pain. Shake off instinctive mental assault by cycling plasma, parry sword strike by Red Angel, deflect the Minotaur’s fist to get inside its’ reach. Blast plasma through feet to headbutt Minotaur in crotch, stab outwards with hands covered in plasma on contact, use crumpling Minotaur as an obstacle to buy time for recovery. Send a massive blast of plasma towards Red Angel to obscure vision, set a wall to slow Crawler, charge Red Angel. Catch descending sword with a blade of plasma, slide between Red Angel’s legs, rearward blast of plasma to knock its’ legs out from under it. Spin to-

Web: Sam?

2:10 p.m.

Khyber was so startled he didn’t dodge a punch by the Minotaur and was launched clear through a building. Shaking himself, he watched the three Contenders advance towards him.

Daniel?!

Petra: And Tori.

What the hell? I saw the Limo go down.

Tori: It did and we went down with it. You’re listening to the literal personifications of never say die.

Daniel: My legs are a leaky, red pulp beneath a chunk of the Limo and Tori has a piece of metal the size of her head sticking through her chest. Never say die indeed.

…Damn it!

Tori: Sam, its’ alright. The Dozen still live.

I know, I let Kara know I would buy them the time they needed to escape.

Daniel: I hear the finality in your voice. You’re not getting out of here either, huh Sam?

In the time we’ve been having this conversation, I’ve had seven exchanges with the Contenders. I could maybe get away from them but Excelsior would just widen the spread of the disruptors he drops to make sure he got me and probably catches some of the others in the widened radius. I don’t know why he hasn’t dropped them already, I’ve likely done enough damage. Maybe he’s still hoping I try to run so that he might catch some others I would retreat towards. This way, my life buys something.

Tori: This wasn’t how I pictured dying.

Daniel: I never pictured dying, I figured I’d live forever. Never say die, right?

Tori: Not the time for jokes Daniel.

Daniel: Humor distracts from my hips sending flares of agony up my spine every time I breathe and my torso shifts.

We’re something else. All three of us are staring death in the face and we’re bickering.

Tori: Death stopped being scary six years ago.

Now that I think about it, that sounds about right.

Daniel: Tori has a question for you.

Tori: Daniel!

Daniel: Any second one of us could die, excuse me for trying to get to the important topic.

2:13 p.m.

Web laughed at Petra’s indignation. Sam was right; they were indeed pieces of work if the three of them could stare death in the face and go right on bickering.

Sam: Ask away, not like I’m busy or anything.

Tori: Sarcasm not appreciated. Daniel said you broke your promise to never lie to me after Cincinnati. Did you?

Sam: No, I never broke it. Even when I wanted to.

Bullshit. There’s no way you didn’t lie about that.

Tori: That?

Sam: Which that are you referring to?

That that.

Tori: I don’t like you two referring to multiple that’s while implying they’re secrets from me.

Sam: Oh, that that. It never came up.

I don’t believe you.

Sam: It didn’t and I know you can tell that I’m telling the truth.

Tori: What never came up?

As you would describe, Sam’s fourth reason to keep on living.

Tori: Fourth reason?

Hope.

Tori: That cryptic statement makes no sense.

Sam: I don’t think this is the right time to talk about this.

We’re all literally about to die, there is no other time.

Tori: Some of us significantly faster than others, so explain.

Sam: All the time I spent thinking about this and I still don’t have the right words to describe it.

Tori: I’ll take any words, right or not. I am not about to die burning with curiosity.

Sam: Well I…shit that hurt. I um…I guess I –

Sam’s been in love with you for the past what, four years? Or was it five Sam?

Sam: Way to ruin any romance that might have softened up these last hellish moments. And seven.

I wasn’t going to have you pussyfooting around and have us die before you explained!

Tori: I knew that.

2:15 p.m.

You did?

Sam: You did?

Tori: I am not an idiot, as you two are well aware. And even if I hadn’t figured it out myself, Theresa would’ve ratted you out in a minute when she joined the team.

Sam: Oh.

Tori: I figured I’d wait until you were ready to talk about it. Which is now, I guess.

Wait until he was ready?

Tori: I wasn’t going to add the burden of keeping me happy on his already fragile emotions. When he was ready, I’d be around.

In retrospect, your extreme lack of dating habits from the last five years make way more sense.

Sam: Was that an ‘I love you too’ in an incredibly roundabout way?

Tori: No, you didn’t tell me you loved me, so I couldn’t tell you that back yet.

Sam: I love you.

Tori: I love you too.

I now you pronounce you man and wife!

Tori: Daniel, if I was capable of moving, I would crawl over to your incapacitated ass and stab you.

Sam: I wish I’d said that sooner.

Tori: Me too, but better late than never. Sam I –

Web felt her mind and body lose the tenuous connection to life and disengaged from her mind before he and Khyber were subjected to her mind’s death knell.

Sam: What was that Tori?

She’s gone Sam.

2:17 p.m.

Sam:…Damn.

You said it brother.

Sam: Not by blood, but I always thought of you as family.

I’m touched.

Sam: I will come find that ship and beat you to death myself.

There’s the brotherly love I’ve come to expect.

Sam: Aggravating to the end. Somehow I knew that would be the case.

I have to stick to my strengths. They’re literally all that’s keeping me alive right now.

Sam: Not exactly the ending I imagined for myself.

I never imagined an end so there’s no disappointment here.

Sam: You really thought you’d live forever?

No, but death never seemed like something worth thinking about.

Sam: Pragmatic. Well, I’m not quite getting the white knight ending I always wanted to end my story with.

You know the great thing about stories? If you don’t like an ending, just rewrite it.

Web wavered towards unconsciousness as the pain increased. Khyber chose not to reply as his fight intensified with the Contenders and Web saw multiple flashes of pain across his mind.

Hey, can I ask a favor?

Sam: If it’s within my extremely limited ability to grant, sure.

Make it quick for me? I don’t want to die afraid.

2:18 p.m.

Sam: …Yeah, I think can do that.

Web opened his eyes as he broke the connection with Khyber to prevent any death knells from resonating between the two of them. As he lay there, he thought about his memories of the past nine years. Despite lying in a pool of his own blood, wracked with pain and waiting to die, Web wouldn’t have traded the past nine years of being a gifted for anything, even if it meant avoiding this fate.

Memories of Greg and Tori finally bonding after the years of awkwardness as step-siblings. Meeting Kendra and introducing her to Greg. Meeting her brother Sam. Meeting Kara. Falling for Kara. Dancing with Kara at Greg’s and Kendra’s wedding. Watching Sam and Tori dance together for the first time at the reception. Watching any chances at romance between the four of them shatter in the wake of Greg and Kendra’s death. Putting Greg’s daughter into double-blind foster care to protect her from the identity of her parents. Continuing to admire Kara from afar even after all these years.

Making a decision, Web stretched his mind one more time, reaching out to one he knew as well as his own, one he’d never contacted by itself for the last six years. He brushed against it and pushed the message through with everything he had. The distance made it a challenge, but he was not going to fail at literally the last thing he would ever do.

I always loved you. There was surprise as her mind received the unexpected message.

Web severed the connection immediately. Opening his eyes once more, Web saw a flash of green that turned to yellow. As the wall of superheated plasma rolled towards him, Web smiled. Never say die. Give ‘em hell Sam.

2:18 p.m.

Khyber felt tears running down his cheek as he flipped forms, the wave of superheated plasma rolling off of him and demolishing nearly everything in its way. The colors around him shifted slightly, a yellow tinge to his surroundings he hadn’t seen since a tumultuous night years ago in New York. He took the hollow feeling that refused to leave his gut, filling it with the rage and fury he felt at being trapped in this situation.

“Just you and me left!” Khyber screamed at the three Contenders. The Crawler was rolling across the ground, smashing into buildings as it tried to put out the fire his plasma wave had set on its skin. The Red Angel and Minotaur were unaffected but watching him warily. “And I’ve got no reason left to hold back!”

Khyber was hysterically sad and volcanically furious at the same time, the emotional whipsawing reflected in the continual bubbling of his superheated plasma form, which refused to settle into something more than vaguely human.

“So, let’s fucking dance!” Khyber surged towards the Contenders. He’d do his damnedest to take all three of them with him as their payment for the part they played in his team dying. As he moved, Web’s words returned to him, thundering and crashing through his mind.

You know the great thing about stories? If you don’t like an ending, just rewrite it.