Earlier

I'm too late.

I oversleep. Realise too late why it was a problem. And by then, the new report has already been out for an hour. Grian's mission began hours ago. And there's no report of him coming back.

I scramble for clothes. Supplies. Potions... healing... truth, amnesia, sleeping, poison... for a minute I wonder if I'll need more, decide against it, then snatch up more. A knife. Matches. Finally tying a cloth around my face, I dash to the window, slipping out and jumping to the next roof. I fumble the landing, stumbling slightly. I take a moment to recover, before continuing on. 

It doesn't normally take long to get from home to the resistance base. But I make a wrong turn, ending up near the main streets. The best way now is by crossing through the chao. And as I do, another person runs over. Instant recognition, though I've never seen them in real life.

'What do you think about the appearance of not just Cuteguy, but Hotguy.' A microphone is shoved in my face as the over-excited Beef finishes asking questions. 'I see you're dressed up for the occasion...'

Scar.

'What?' My tone turns serious. Beef blinks.

'Earlier today. A passerby caught sight of Hotguy running past... what do you think of this?'

'I need to go.' I push past and out the way. He follows.

'Why are you covering your face if not to create your own superhero inspired by the appearances?' Beef calls, desperate for the story. 

'Because I'm saving him!' I snap. This doesn't slow him down. It takes too long to shake him away, and end up scaling a building, hoping no one can tell who I am from the footage. Now in the air, away, I take a second to relax, find my bearings. There. I see the still-burnt resistance base entrance, climbing down, staying out of sight and wary of guards, before slipping in through the empty window.

I grab a sleeping potion at the sound of guards, heart racing, slipping down, staring over. There are two talking to each other. I throw the potion at them. Both collapse, and I enter.

No one's looking my way. I see Impulse and Gem talking. Nothing else is out of place.

I can't see Scar.

I can't even see Scar.

WHERE IS HE?

I slip around the room towards the prisons. Another sleeping potion deals with the guard on watch. I grab the keys, heart racing as I open the door.

There's nowhere there.

And then I remember.

The high security prison.

'HEY!' A shout. I sprint towards where I remember it being, trying to find the right potions in my pocket... there. I throw something towards the pursuing guards and hear them skid to a stop as crystals cover their route.

'IT'S BDUBS!'

I frown, thinking there's a second intruder.

But of course.

They still think I'M Bdubs.

I reach the door, hitting it with a bang. For a second no reply then...

'HELP!'

Scar.

SCAR.

The decision is instant as I hammer again. He's hurt. Someone's hurt him. I don't care if it goes against everything I've been doing for months, he needs me. Now. 

'SCAR I'M COMING!' I scream back, tearing off the mask. Guards reach me again. I throw another potion, continuing to knock... If Beef hadn't stopped me... If I'd decided what to do sooner... If I'd woken up at the right time...

A click.

The door unlocks.

I burst inside. Scar's on the ground. There's blood everywhere. I fall next to him. A cut runs across his neck where he bleeds. I sob. He cries back, recognition, love, surprise filling his expression.

'Scar- hold on. Please.' Is all I can say. His hand reaches to my face. A smile as he laughs. No, cries. No, chokes. His face blurs in front of me as I try to blink away tears. I don't even try to grab potions. It's too late. It's too late...

'Cub.' He says my name. 

'Scar...'

He falls limp in my arms.

Dead.

Scar's dead. 

Scar's dead.

If I'd been quicker.

If I'd done anything better.

If I'd come sooner,

If Beef hadn't stopped me on the street.

If...

If...

If...

Every tiny mistake replays in my mind. Every moment. Every thing I could've done, realised, said. I could've revealed myself sooner. Kept him alive that away. Why did I decide the best option was to separate?! Why did I let Ren stop us from having fun?

A click.

'Get up.'

I don't move.

'Get up!'

This is the person who killed him.

Skizz killed him.

Skizz is why he's dead.

Fury.

Pure seething fury.

Fire boils up inside me. Pure, unquenchable fire. I slip a shaking hand into my pocket, holding the knife in it.

'I told you to GET UP!'

I glance up. Aiming. Biding my time.

'GET UP!'

I slash at him.

Skizz falls back as I suddenly stand. Blood covers his front. I hear a yell as he chokes, and pin him against the wall, arm over his bleeding neck, holding back the bloodflow as I speak.

'I'm going to kill you.'

'How?' He snarls back as well as he can, fighting to escape. I point the knife at him.

'This way.'

He screams as I stab him. Again. And again. I want him to be in pain. I want him to know how I feel. I know where the vital organs are to avoid, make it longer. And I know where hurts the most. I let him fall to the ground sobbing with pain and stand over him. A tug on my arm. I turn, slicing at the other person. They back away, breathing deep, one hand covering their bleeding cheek.

'Try anything else and I kill you too.' I barely recognise my voice from the coldness of it. 'Understand?'

A hand claws at my leg. I kick  it away, looking down to see Skizz, slowly bleeding to death as he glares up at me. I fall to his level.

'Today you made the worst and last mistake of you life in killing Scar.' I spit. He slowly reaches for his gun. I grab his wrist before he can.

'Don't.'

'Tango kill him.' Skizz snarls. I look over at where Tango is standing, looking from me, to Skizz, to Scar. He's holding a pistol with shaking hands.

'Goodbye.' Is all he says, sobbing.

Gunshot.

I close my eyes, expecting the release death would bring.

But it never comes.

A choking, pained sob behind me, repeating over and over they're sorry. I open my eyes. 

And see Skizz's dead body. 

:)

Cub became angery boi.