17.4: Red Flags

People outside of the dome could see the pyres of fire rocketing into the air on the western side of the campus, and they screamed.

Everyone on the campus could see them, and they watched in awe, wondering if the fire had come to save them from the walking horrors, or if this was another problem they were stuck with.

Gabriel cried and ran, worrying that he would be consumed by the flames, if God himself had granted him his wish of an early grave.

Flames shout of Unas' feet, propelling him like a bullet.

He burst right through the mass of stumbling corpses, laughing as he heard them cry out in pain. They all watched, as with ease, Unas destroyed what they had struggled to survive for the past sixteen hours.

The entire parking lot burst into flames, and Deceit cried as her grotesque creature was attacked. Its wings made of skin and a patchwork of bones burnt as she ran through the parking lot, trying to get to her prize.

Ace changed his mind when he saw the horrid beasts bake alive. He turned again, towards Fenton and Gabriel, and they ran as fast as they could, away from the parking lot and towards the forest.

Deceit grabbed onto the closet dead man next to her and she tore out its spine. The more she passed the more she took from them, and soon she had 4 different spinal columns, enough for what she needed.

From the forest, more dead trudged towards them, and they were trapped. There was no where else to go, and the flames assured their death. The god of revenge had caused more pain while trying to help Tyreceus, and he was now too preoccupied with causing as much mayhem as possible, under the veil of benevolence.

Gabriel couldn't handle this. It was too much. The entire two and a half days had broken him, had made him start to question his faith and he was ready to run into the crowd of death, and become one of them.

"You've killed us all," Gabriel cried. "Your vices have-"

"Shut up," Fenton screamed. "You're not the only one in pain! Shut up!"

One by one the vertebrae Deceit collected clicked into place together, creating a whip made of bone and blood. Deceit walked towards them, calmly, barefoot and her top only hanging on by one strap. Her "decoration" had long fallen off, yet the glitter still persisted, stuck to her body. It sparkled in the flames, and it covered her legs.

She never wore a costume to begin with. It was another of her red flags.

"You have to stop overreacting Acheus," Deceit said. "You have trust issues."

An explosion could be heard in the distance, and Unas' laughter as well.

" Did you know this entire time and you never said anything," Ace screamed. "Did you know this would happen!?"

"Yes, I planned all this shit! I thought you'd never return, so I decided to just kill everyone isntead of waiting!"

"What is she talking about," Gabriel asked.

"This day has already happened. This keeps happening again, and again, and we never remember." Ace said.

More flames erupted into the sky, screams got louder, and then there was a silence. It was broken by Gabriel, who squated on the ground, covered his face and cried.

He had accepted his fate.

"Wait. This keeps happening," Deceit asked.

"You.. you don't know," Ace replied.

"I mean... Dad told me something would happen again, but I didn't think he would mean like this...."

Ace wondered what kind of monster would ever give birth to the one in front of him, and Deceit started to worry about paying attention more often. She could have had him ages ago if her pride never got in her way. She wanted to proove to her father that she could do everything on her own, but her pride had been her own down fall.

She too would be stuck in the continous loop, chasing after a man that would never want her forever. Fenton saw her piece everything together and Deceit knew what had happened.

"The watch! The fucking watch did this," she screamed.

The monsters screamed along with her, and Fenton got closer to Ace. He hoped that Deceit would be so obsessed with Ace he wouldn't kill him and he could just hide behind him.

"I don't know anything," Fenton screamed.

"Not you, fuck face, Acheus."

Ace was silent, wondering how he would get them out alive. They were all spent. They could no longer use their abilities. He wondered how long he could protect them with Invictus, but Invictus had no true attacks to use, as he was simply a shield. He would only be stronger if everyone was weaker than him, but right now everyone couldn't use their abilities. They were all useless without them.

"You disappeared in front of me this time. I saw you keep touching that fucking watch! That's how you left, isn't it?"

Ace said nothing and looked at her in fear. He tried not to show it, but it was obvious as his hands were shaking.

"Don't give me that look," Deceit said. She walked towards them and they froze up, nowhere to go, nowhere to hide.

"I love you," Deceit whispered. "I don't care if this repeats again. I'll find you."

"You're crazy," Ace whispered

"It was hard for me, waiting for you," Deceit said. "I will always find you. You're mine."

She walked up to Acheus and Fenton eyed her whip made of bones. She threw it to the ground and she rubbed Ace's chest, getting blood all over his red hoodie and grinning up at him.

  He started to shake, feeling cold under the heat, knwoing that what she spoke was true. No matter how many times it happened, she would chase him, like a dog chasing its tail. They would be running in circles until it all ended, and again he knew he had no choice but to not go back.

Even when he was with Ibis, at night he would have dreams that she would return. No matter where he looked he felt like she was always watching. In closed rooms, by himself, he could swear she felt her looming presence, that she was sitting in the shadows waiting to strike.

Ace believed he had no choice but to go back to her. He was weaker than her. He always would be.

She was truly crazy and believed that her manipulative tactics could still work on him.

"It's time, Acheus. Come meet my father," she said.

Deceit grabbed him by the wrist and he tried to fight her, but it was useless. She gripped even harder, and Ace tried to pull away, but she kept going, dragging him through the grass. Fenton held on, and then Gabriel held onto Fenton. They flopped and flailed in the grass like fish gasping for air, and Deceit screamed nothing but pure noise, tired of everyone getting in her way.

"Let go," Fenton screamed.

"Never," Deceit bellowed.

With all his strength, Gabriel planted his feet on the ground, and grabbed Fenton who wriggled around in his arms. He couldn't get free and Deceit dragged Ace away, kicking and screaming by his arms. Fenton cried and thrashed faster as he couldn't break free from Gabriel's iron grip. He felt like he himself would die if Ace did as well.

"I hate you," Fenton cried. "I hate you so much."

"You'll thank me one day," Gabriel said. "You'll be angry but alive."