[center] [h1][color=c1196b]𝔼𝕞𝕖𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕪! 𝔼𝕞𝕖𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕪! 𝔼𝕞𝕖𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕪![/color][/h1] [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BowK8gxYz94]A dash of music[/url] [/center] [hr] [color=808080] All the commotion, explosions, and the tower going into heavy lockdown was not something Krish was expecting to happen but when did peace ever linger long in Nocturnia? He was rushing down to where he knew his best friend and chosen brother was — he saw him on the cameras — and his body was shaking. Krish couldn’t control the adrenaline rush that he was having or the emotions that were overwhelming his body to the point that he felt like he was going to throw up, scream, or something. He was going to do something but he didn’t know what. Running down the halls and moving through the corridors, he was trying to text Juniper something that made sense, and that would alert her. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/SGtpbay.png[/img][/center] [hr] Her ungloved hands were covered in blood as she pressed down on Asterion’s abdomen, her breath coming in sharp gasps. The bullet wounds — three, four? Maybe more? — had turned his torso and the rest of his body into a battlefield of torn flesh and seeping red. He was slipping fast. Too fast. “[color=ffffff]Stay with us![/color]” June barked, fighting the tremor in her voice. She could hear the others scrambling around her, shouting for more gauze, more pressure, anything to buy time. The air reeked of gunpowder and copper. Everything was happening way too fast. Asterion’s breathing came in ragged, shallow bursts, each weaker than the last. His face was pale, slick with sweat, his body twitching under her hands. His pulse — [color=ffffff]barely there.[/color] She fumbled for the emergency transfusion kit, her fingers numb with exhaustion and fear. “[color=ffffff]Get that line open! [b]NOW![/b][/color]” she snapped at Lian, who was struggling with the IV bag, hands shaking almost as badly as hers. The needle missed once. Twice. “[color=ffffff]I — I got it,[/color]” Lian stammered, finally piercing the vein. A slow drip of blood began flowing into Asterion’s arm. Too slow. Not enough. June did not realize how tense she was, her teeth clenched, and she was reaching for a surgical kit. They didn’t have time to wait for other equipment to move him. Emergency surgery had to happen here, now, in a room that was far from sterile, with not the proper tools, or procedures, and way too many unknowns. Another spurt of blood bubbled from Asterion’s side. June bit back a curse as she grabbed a clamp and pressed deep into the wound. Asterion jerked, a weak moan escaping his lips. [color=ffffff]Good. He is still there. Still fighting.[/color] The power flickered. The overhead lights sputtered once, then twice, before plunging the room into semi-darkness. It wasn’t bright outside either. Rain was beating on the side of the building and onto the shattered glass that was trapped inside of the carpet. “[color=ffffff]No, no, no —[/color]” June’s voice cracked. Her mind was racing. Without proper lights, proper suction, tools, without stable vitals, and all the other variables was making this look like a losing battle. “[color=ffffff]I need something so I can see,[/color]” she gestured out her hand as if someone could read her mind. The people that worked with her and under her looked confused and unknowing. “[color=ffffff]Get me a flashlight![/color]” she barked. Within seconds, multiple beams of light cut through the darkness. Not perfect, but it would have to do. She sucked in a breath, steadying herself, pressing forward in her mission. Asterion’s pulse fluttering beneath her fingers. “[color=ffffff]We’re losing him,[/color]” Lian whispered. [color=ffffff]Not yet. Not yet.[/color] Krish was standing off to the side, frozen, staring, and absolutely not processing this situation at all. His brighter orbs looked traumatized while the medical team and June worked on his chosen little brother. [color=ffffff]How could anyone do this? What monsters did this to him?[/color] He couldn’t stop shaking and trembling. “[color=ffffff][i]J-j-june[/i] — is-i-dere- I?[/color]” Nothing that he wanted to say was coming out. “[color=ffffff]Yes, you can come here and hold this,[/color]” without thinking, he stepped closer, and June pulled him down onto his knees and made him hold layers of gauze onto opened wounds and had him apply pressure. Going to grab an instrument from her surgical bag, her hand was shaking, and she glanced back at Asterion. “[color=ffffff]I’m sorry, Aster,[/color]” She knew this would make his own healing process work ten times harder and not as well. She put her hands on him and focused in. Knowing that she wouldn’t be able to make everything perfect again… she would be able to stabilize him this way. [center][url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/rolls/28266]Outcome 28[/url] [color=ffffff][b]22/50[/b][/color] [/center] Trying her best under so much shock and stress, she watched as her powers practically fizzled before her eyes, it helped some. The bleeding wasn’t as quick. It sounded like Asterion might have been breathing a little better. “[color=ffffff]Lian, be ready to help me,[/color]” her voice was shaky while tears started rolling down her cheeks. Multiple individuals, Lian, Krish, and others all shouted her name — “[color=ffffff][b]June!!![/b][/color]” — a feeble attempt to tell her no or to stop. Before anyone could take her hands off Asterion, she used her abilities again. [center][url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/rolls/28267]Outcome 30[/url] [color=ffffff][b]-8/50[/b][/color] [/center] [hr] [i] [color=c1196b]Everything hurts. Why does everything hurt? What happened?[/color] Tears began to stream down his face. He wasn't alive anymore was he? What was happening? This didn't feel right. He wasn't sleeping. He wasn't in his body. It didn't feel like his body as his hands went to grab himself. He wasn't himself. [color=c1196b]Anyone!? What is happening!? [b]PLEASE ANSWER ME![/b][/color] Asterion began to scream but his voice wasn't his. It was but it was his from a very long time ago. An age that he barely could remember. Looking down, everything dark came to life, and ripples began to leave his immediate area while tears began to drop into the dark liquid that he was standing on. [color=c1196b][b]MOM![/b][/color] he heard a voice that was eerily familiar to his shrieking out in pain for his mother. An almost forgotten memory in his head and that was when the liquid began to unbalance. Everything began to consume him like quick sand. He began to struggle as he tried to get out of it by himself but everything consumed him and forced him under the surface. Feeling all the air coming out of his lungs, he began to struggle, and he continued to try and swim to the surface but he couldn't tell what was up, down, right, left, or anything. It was an infinite illusion as he got sucked into a whirl pool and was swooped into a very cold current before he was spat out and feeling so weak. [color=c1196b]I am sorry. I am so sorry. I did... I... I failed,[/color] whimpering cries left him as he laid there on the ground. Hiding his face in his arms while beginning to cry. [color=ffffff]You didn't fail. Everyone's time comes sooner or later and you tried so hard. I am so proud of you for trying,[/color] a familiar voice echoed out and he raised his head. A beautiful and ghostly woman stood in front of him and he found himself sitting up and going quiet. It was his mom, when she was healthy, and he shook his head. [color=c1196b]You are not here. This is not real. I... you...[/color] he couldn't find the words. Within a blink of an eye she was yards away from him and now she was right in front of him. Cupping his cheeks in her hands. [color=ffffff]If this is real or not. Does it matter? You were always such an imaginative boy and you haven't failed. Not yet,[/color] it was like it was on cue that he could start hearing voices and the voices were beginning to cause the liquid beneath him to tremble so he was having a hard time keeping balance but for some reason he wanted to stand. Trying to stand as he wobbled like a new born giraffe. [color=c1196b]I... I do not want to go back. I want to stay here,[/color] he demanded. [color=ffffff]I am sorry love. You can not stay here. Not now. Maybe later. When you open those beautiful dark eyes of yours. Tell your brother that mother said she loves you both, truly,[/color] a kiss was pressed to his forehead and everything began to stabilize beneath him. [/i] [hr] She felt the immense pain that he was in. For only a few seconds, her whole body was connected to him, she could feel how his nervous system was screaming and on fire. Everything was so flared up and in pain. It was overwhelming. Her hands flew back as if she was being pushed off but no one had touched her. Blood started to soak into her clothing. These were nowhere near as bad as what Asterion was experiencing and even with her abilities, his wounds were still open, but she heard him gasp as if she had stabilized his lungs for the most part. Another painful moan came from him while his eyes opened up, lights and colors were all blurred to him, and everything began to flood into his conscious mind. Asterion began to scream from the agonizing pain that he was in. It sounded like someone was torturing him. June grabbed a wad of fresh gauze and pressed it into her side that was leaking the crimson life force the most, packaging the gauze into her side, as she reached for Asterion’s face and checked his pupils with a light. Feeling his pulse that flourished compared to mere seconds ago. “[color=ffffff]We need to get him to the lab. We need a sterile place to work,[/color]” she was still throwing out orders while Lian waved her off. Trying to focus on her side that was bleeding. That was when everything seemed to bottom out and June passed out. [hr] Hours and hours later. [hr] Asterion was lying in a more comfortable hospital-style bed and room, his body was a patchwork of stitches, bruising, and surgical tape. The hum of machines filled the sterile room, punctuated by the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor and the soft hiss of the ventilator forcing air into his lungs. His chest rose and fell in time with the machine, each breath a reminder of the battle he had barely survived. Was this surviving? IV lines ran from both arms, pumping fluids and painkillers into his system. A feeding tube snaked down his throat, keeping his body nourished while his mind remained lost in the drug-induced haze of a medically induced coma. Thick bandages wrapped around his abdomen, legs, and other areas to hide the deep trauma that had nearly ended him. His hands lay still at his sides, fingertips slightly curled as if grasping at some unseen thread in his unconscious state. Krish sat beside him, his fingers resting lightly on his wrist, feeling the faint but steadier pulse beneath his skin. The fight to save him had been brutal, a desperate clash against time and odds, but now all they could do was wait. The room was too quiet, too still, save for the murmuring machines that kept him tethered to life. He let out a slow breath, brushing a strand of damp hair from his forehead. “[color=ffffff]You’re still here,[/color]” he whispered. “[color=ffffff]That’s all that matters.[/color]” But the hardest part was yet to come. The door creaked open, and Juniper stepped inside, balancing a tray of supplies. “[color=ffffff]Any changes?[/color]” Krish shook his head, not taking his eyes off Asterion. “[color=ffffff]Still stable. But… [i]barely[/i].[/color]” Juniper placed the tray on the small table beside the bed, exhaling softly. “[color=ffffff]The guards all have been briefed by Zarek and the whole tower is on heavy lock down. Varek is saying that we should send men to look into the Dark Aces.[/color]” Krish nodded, his exhaustion and emotional drainage was pressing down on him like a weight. He reached for a damp cloth and carefully wiped the sweat from Asterion’s brow. “[color=ffffff]We just have to get him through the next twenty-four hours. If he makes it through that, he has more of a chance. Right? If he stays stable for a decent amount of time, he’ll make it?[/color]” June pulled up a chair, her eyes scanning Asterion’s motionless form. “[color=ffffff]He’s tough. He made it this far.[/color]” Krish wanted to believe that. But the machines surrounding him told a different story. He was alive, but only just. Every breath, every heartbeat, was a fragile victory against the odds. He swallowed past the lump in his throat, “[color=ffffff][i]Yeah…[/i][/color]” his voice cracked while murmuring, “[color=ffffff]He is.[/color]” That was when Krish began sobbing. Bringing the back of one of his hands and wrist up to cover his eyes while he clenched his teeth to try and stop the noise that wanted to come out of him. His body trembled, it heaved, and he couldn’t control any of the emotions coming from him. June reached out and put a hand on Krish’s shoulder to attempt to comfort him but she knew it wouldn’t. Not enough. For now, all they could do was wait. And hope. [hr] June left a little while ago and Krish finally got himself under control. His cheeks were puffy from the tears staining and nipping at them but he felt numb. Usually crying stung and ached. This… how could one even explain this feeling? A shaky sigh left his lips while the music was slightly calming. The man decided to text Jax, Asterion’s little brother to inform him of the situation. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/H0ovOsu.png[/img][/center] After that call ended, there was no time in between wherever he was and him getting to where Asterion was. That boy sprinted the whole way from his penthouse to that tower and was making an emotional scene in the lobby before Mitzie guided him to where Asterion was. “[color=ffffff]This isn’t fucking fair,[/color]” his voice cracked out while his fingers stroked into his hair as he was almost pulling at it with stress while seeing his older brother in such a condition. “[color=ffffff]He was perfectly fine this morning. Fucking fine. He was being such a douche and now he isn’t even glaring at me or telling me to get the fuck out to save my own ass,[/color]” Jax felt warm streaks of liquid rolling down his cheeks. Krish stood there and watched the younger man fight the battle of unraveling and keeping his emotions under control. It reminded him a lot of Asterion. Not wanting to be vulnerable but not being able to control it. “[color=ffffff]At least he’s breathing,[/color]” Krish glanced between the brothers as if that was hopeful enough. “[color=ffffff]Fucking breathing? Fuck that. He’s on a ventilator. He’s not even breathing by himself. That’s not living. That’s being forced to live,[/color]” Jax exploded with his hands going up in the air as if asking what Krish was talking about. “[color=ffffff]What type of life is he going to fucking have if he heals from this bullshit!?[/color]” Jax was getting loud. He was so much louder than his brother. The redheaded man seemed to tense up, “[color=ffffff]Jax…[/color]” he growled a little. “[color=ffffff][b]WHAT?![/b] I am being honest. He’s practically dead right now. You are all just forcing him to stay alive on these machines. What happens when he heals!? Is he going to be able to walk? Is he going to be able to talk? Is he going to lie there and be a vegetable!?[/color]” Asterion’s heart monitor began to start beeping showing his body was under stress. He was reacting to Jax’s emotions. Krish’s brows furrowed, “[color=ffffff]Shut the fuck up! You are stressing him out! We don’t know. June doesn’t know. He has to heal first. We won’t know until he gets stable enough to wake up from that coma but right now. He just needs to be in a coma, June said it’s for the best. That will lead to the least trauma for him,[/color]” Krish tried to explain. Jax threw up his hands before making a gesture at Krish to practically wave him off as he approached the bedside of his older brother, “[color=ffffff]I am sorry that I was being difficult earlier this morning. If you open your eyes. I promise, I will try better. Open your eyes and I’ll think about getting out of casino work and gangs. You wanted me to go to college, right?[/color]” he grabbed his brother's hand in both of his hands. His brother was so cold. Super cold. “[color=ffffff]If you open your eyes and recover. I’ll go to college. I’ll get an associates degree just for you. Okay? I promise.[/color]” That was something Krish wasn’t expecting to hear and it broke his heart. Watching Jax try and talk to a living corpse and bargain with him to wake up. He had to look away from the scene and zone it out a little before he started crying again. [/color]