Willow's Point Of View *16*

I slid behind cover and reloaded my rifle, before speaking on my ear piece. "Toby? Can you hear me? I'm pinned down here, as soon as I clear the place, more of them appear," As I spoke, I shot down another wave of men that ran through the double doors, before settling to reload again.

"Willow," Toby panted. "Promise me-"

"Toby shut the fuck up! I'm not leaving you behind," I said. "If you haven't got anything useful to say then shut your trap," I said. "Zack, where are you?"

"Willow," his quiet voice came through. "Listen to Toby. It's too late-"

"Zack? Are you injured?" I could tell from Toby's voice that he was okay, Zack however . . . pain dripped from his voice has he spoke.

"I've been shot, Will," he said, taking jerky inhales and exhales. "It's the end,"

"No! Zack, stay with me! Where are you? I'm coming to-" I was cut off by the sound of a gunshot ringing into my ears. "Zack!" I screamed, getting back down where I couldn't be shot. The line went silent. No panting, no more gunshots.

"Will . . ." I heard Toby start. "He's gone, there's nothing we can do. Will I'm pinned down as well. I-" he hesitated. "I love you okay?"

I froze. "Toby? I-I love you too but why are you saying this right now?" I kept shooting down men. I was running out of ammunition, I was going to have to move soon.

"Don't come after me, Will. You go back, and live that life in the country, like we dreamed about," he said. "Get yourself a cowboy hat, like you wanted, and buy yourself a ranch. Keep yourself safe, love," he said.

I let out a strangled cry before climbing over my cover. I punched one guy, and kicked another, taking them out one by one, until I was the only one left in the room. A couple of them got in some jabs on me here and there, and a knife made its mark across my cheek. I then grabbed a weapon off one of them, loading up on ammo before jumping down two flights of stairs. I took multiple men out on the way.

"Why aren't you replying to me, Will?" Toby asked, making my heart clench.

I again, didn't respond. I press a button on my wrist watch, and it threw up a hologram of the building, showing me where Toby's watch was, relative to me. I followed it, until I reached a door, locked from the outside. I shot a bullet at the lock, before kicking down the door.

There lay Toby, in a heap on the floor. He had a stab wound on his shoulder, which was dripping onto the floor, and blood fell from between his lips as well.

"I didn't reply, because I was too busy finding your pessimistic ass," I said. 

He gave me a sad smile. "Helping me will get you killed too," he said, before glancing to his left, where a Colt 1911 lay in his blood. 

"No," I said. "Toby I swear to God if you-" he reached for the gun, bringing it up to his own head. My eyes glassed over. "So this is what it was all for, huh?" I started. "All the training, all the fighting, the years of research that brought us here. All of it, just for you to kill yourself in front of me?" I began to shout. 

I threw my rifle at his arm, knocking the 1911 well out of his reach. 

He didn't resist when I went closer to him, to help him onto his feet. I helped him hobble out of the room, shooting any guys I came across, before moving. 

I sighed, helping him down some stairs. "It really took a near death experience for you to confess your love for me huh?" I asked, attempting and failing to lighten the mood.

"I-" he was cut off by a man running at us with a sword. I shot him down quickly. "I was planning to do it when we got back. I wanted to ask you on a date, and take you to that country life," he said.

"I can assure you, Toby, if I ever live on a ranch, wearing a cowboy hat, it'll only ever be with you," I said. The more we walked, the harder it was becoming to keep going.

Toby let out a strangled chuckle. "I'm not going to make it Will," I looked at him, pleading with my eyes. "It hurts to breathe," he wheezed.

"I know, Tob, but we've been through worse," I reasoned, as he held onto me for dear life.

He looked at me skeptically. "Look at me, Willow,"  

It all happened very slowly. His eyes widened as he glanced over my shoulder, before he spun us around in a quick movement. Then I saw what he saw: 3 men, 3 rifles, 3 lasers, all aimed straight at Toby. My Toby. 

Before I had a chance to even lift my rifle, the shots were heard.

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*
*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*
*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

I raised my M16 and shot all 3 men down. 
*BANG**BANG**BANG*        *BANG**BANG**BANG*        *BANG**BANG**BANG*

I wrapped my arms around Toby, when my hands came into contact with a wet patch on his back. I withdrew my hand: it was red, with his blood.

"Will," he whispered. His green eyes were bloodshot, and spilling tears. I began to cry as it sunk in. He turned us around, so that the bullets would hit him, and not me. "Will," he repeated.

I grabbed his hand as he sunk to the floor, pulling me with him. "Y-yeah?"

He reached a shaky hand up to his chest, reaching inside his shirt and yanking off his dog tag, from his time in the army when he was younger. He pressed it into my hand. "Take this." I weeped and took it from him. He grunted, in pain, before placing a hand on my cheek. "I want two things," he said, hoarsely.

I nodded. "Y-Yeah anything you want,"

"Kiss me?"  he asked, letting out a shaky breath. I nodded and pressed my lips onto his. I could taste his blood, but it was the least I could do for him. I pulled away, and he smiled.

"Thank you."

"What was the other thing?" I asked.

He opened his mouth to talk but his expression contorted, and he began to cough out more blood.

"Toby, hey look at me, you're okay," I attempted to reassure him, but I was sobbing as I said it.

"I want you to promise me-" he coughed again, clutching my hand. "That you won't waste this,"

"Waste what? What do you mean, Tob?" I asked. I knew we didn't have much time left.

"I took these bullets for you, because you're special, and you're going to do amazing things. Promise me, you won't let this go to waste," he raised a shaky finger to my heart, pressing it onto me gently. "Don't waste this life I saved . . ." he said, staring into my eyes. 

I was about to speak, but his hand fell from my chest, and he stopped clutching onto me. I watched his eyes go cold. "N-no," I whispered, placing my hands on his shoulders, and shaking him. "NO! Toby no! You can't leave me!" I screamed. "TOBY! TOBY!"

"TOBY!" I cried out, jolting up in my bed, out of breath, tears streaming down my face. 

I stood up and paced around the room, before slamming my fist into the wall, causing the bricks to crumble and fall, from my inhuman powers. 

In the last month, I had attempted to actually sleep a grand total of 4 times, including today. And every single time, I had experienced this exact recurring nightmare.

Except it wasn't a nightmare. It was a memory.