Towards Self - Part 2

Link to article: Towards Self - Part 2.

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[https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-7603/offset/2 Return to previous page]
----
[[=]]
[[image https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/local--files/scp-7603/Towards_Self.png style="width:100%;" alt="Towards Self."]]
----
+ ##870F06|PART 2##
[[/=]]

The twisted, body-shaped trees burned brightly, their arms raised to light the red skies aflame. If I needed to breathe, I would have suffocated from the heavy smoke in the air. But I could only feel the taste of ash and fruit on my tongue. From above or below the canopy, their flames provided ample cover, and places to avert his aim.

As I walked to where the Red Dragon fell, my worst fears are confirmed. He was still conscious and staring straight at me.

I did not want to hurt him. 

We were both injured; bleeding, with a hole in my back and his left wing hanging limp, rendered unusable. I was down an arm, and he looked as if he was limping on the same leg I helped set. The fall must have worsened the compound fracture in his leg. If there was a time for diplomacy, this would be the last chance we had.

I gave him an opportunity to back away. "Please, let us stop fighting; we are both injured. We do not have to hurt each other anymore. We could just... stop."

"... I can't do that."

"You //can// though."

"You're my mark. You can run, or fight."

"//Why?// Why can you not just back away?"

"Because it's my job. This is all that I have left," I could hear the emotional edge in his voice that he tried to suppress. "Therion took everything else."

I blinked. "I... I thought you were only working for Father for his money."

"Money is irrelevant," he snapped back. "If I fail, I'm not the Red Dragon. If I'm not the Red Dragon, I'm //nothing."//

It took a moment for me to process what he said. Despite the vast gulf of experience and power between us... he really was no different from me.

A pawn for Father to use. Another soul he crushed in his hand.

"Father treats me the same way; success means everything. If you fall short of his expectations, then all you were to him was a failure. A nothing." I took a step towards him. "Mother was different. Where Therion took she only gave, she gave me love that I felt he could never take away from me." 

If the Red Dragon saw that I moved forward he made no show of it, I could see the look in his eyes changing. Softening.

"But he did... and now Blood Rose is all I have of Mother. I am not going to let Father take that too."

[[f>image https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/local--files/scp-7603/Proper.png style="width:330px;"]]
"You're wasting your time. Therion will win. He //always// wins." I heard his voice break as he said that, he raised his rifle up to his shoulder and took aim at me.

"He will not win. I will not allow it." I clenched the dagger in my only remaining hand and felt my legs tense.

"Then fight." He fired, the round sliced clean through my pant-leg as I dodged to the side. He was a crack shot, but he was slipping, barely able to hold the gun steady. I noticed his aim was lower. Far lower than my head. I could tell he aimed for my legs, in an attempt to disable me. I had one advantage over him. Land-speed. So I rushed him before he could fire yet again.

With any luck, I would sever his head before he blew our respective feet off.

I closed the gap between us. Panicked and desperate, I reached out with my arm to knock his rifle out of line.

That was when I made a mistake. 

I had parried his rifle //downwards,// instead of //away from me.// 

He pulled the trigger, the shot rang out, and I felt my leg explode in a spray of gore, followed by a flood of agony as I felt acid bite into me. He buckled as the damage was split to his one uninjured leg, and we both fell to our knees.

I saw a single opening to even the playing field, and stabbed his wrist to pry the rifle out of his hand. My dagger sunk into his flesh and I twisted which forced his hand open and sent his rifle to the dirt.

Relief flooded into me. For the first time, I felt like it was possible to win this fight.

Until I felt a punch to the face. Then another. Even as the bruises and cuts appeared on his own face, he shrugged it off. He knocked me to the ground and straddled my hips, pinning me, and slammed punch after punch against my head. Each fist sent thunderclaps that roared through my skull almost as loud as his rifle. He grabbed my head and slammed it against the ground. My vision started to swim. I felt sick and nauseous.

He made no sound as he weathered his own strikes. I saw a crack in his beak that was not there before, so I knew he was hurt. But otherwise, he did not flinch.

I did the only thing I could, and attempted to buck him over me. I slammed my only knee against his back and caused him to topple forwards. I seized the advantage and took the knife that I still held onto and plunged it deep into his back. I pushed up with my left leg and hip and used the dagger in his back like a handle to roll him over to my right side and onto his back.

I ripped the knife out from the Red Dragon's back. With his legs damaged, he was unable to stop me from pressing forward or to roll me off him.

I plunged the knife downwards, towards his neck but his hands shot up to guard against the strike. Exhausted and desperate, I leaned my entire body weight behind my hand and press down with all my remaining strength.

And yet the knife remained in place. Neither one of us had the energy left to overpower the other. We were trapped. Locked into a brutal game with no real winner.

There was nothing that awaited us at the end of this struggle, only more pain, more blood and more cruelty.

My hands shook. I did not want this. I did not want to hurt him.

Not like Father did.

So I made one last attempt to talk to him.

"You were right about, Father." I looked at him square in the eyes. "He is powerful. The single most powerful Lord of Inferno. No one could ever stand up against him, every Lord that tried has been butchered for his trophy room."

I felt sick at the thought that Mother was in there too.

"But those lords failed because they were unable to unify against him, all of them were self-serving and vainglorious, just like him, none of them could stand the thought of another person sharing the glory."

I felt the strength in his arms waning.

"We do not have to be like them, I know you are another victim of his, and I know you want him dead as much as I do. So I am //begging// you. Stop this fight. Let us work together to stop him from taking anything else."

His grip slowly weakened as he considered what I said. "Whatever it was that he took away from you, I promise that we can //take it back."//

I felt his grip around my wrists loosen slightly. Behind his cold steely eyes something lit up.

It was faint. Weak. But I saw it there. The hope that Therion could really be beaten, that the Red Dragon's own life could mean more than being under a tyrant's thumb.

//Please...// was all I able to think to myself. 

"... If it was possible to kill Therion," His eyes narrowed. "what do you think //stopped// me?" The light I saw in his eyes was snuffed out in an instant. Replaced now with a killer's empty stare.

"Even at my //strongest// I couldn't kill him. And you're too immature and inexperienced pose a real threat." His voice came out like a harsh whisper. He sounded so tired. "You can't even bring yourself to kill //me.// How can you expect to kill //him?"//

His strength returns to his arms as I feel his grip tighten. "If you were to fight him as you are now then you would die whether I helped you or not."

"I... that is not..." I tried to think of a response. Despite everything that has happened, I knew I did not feel truly feel comfortable with killing anyone. Even Father.

In my moment of weakness, the Red Dragon managed to push my hand to the side. He released his grip and I fell forwards and stabbed the knife harmlessly into the dirt.

He pushed me off him, and I fell to his side. I tried to climb back on top of him until I felt his fist impact my skull once again. Before I could react, he grabbed me by my throat and threw me as hard as he could, which sent me careening against one of the many burning trees.

I slammed my head against the trunk, and the hard crunch of bark rang through my head. It was not enough to concuss, but enough to blur my sight. When I regained my vision, I saw the Red Dragon reload his rifle, and raised it up towards me.

Time slowed to a crawl. I knew where he aimed; my last remaining arm. Even with my ability causing him to lose his own, he would still have one good arm, and I would be completely disabled. I would then attempt to crawl away, but with only one last leg and my strength completely sapped, I knew he would catch up to me. He would wrap his one good arm around my neck and choke me out, rendering me unconscious. And once he was healed enough to stand and limp, he would drag me back to Father.

And it would be over.

Father would win. Because Father //always// wins.

[[=]]
##70D8E5|"All you had to do was commit a simple fucking execution, but you couldn't even do that right, could you?."##
[[/=]]

I was a coward. A complete fuck up unworthy of Mother's legacy. And I really thought I could kill Father? What a joke.

[[=]]
##70D8E5|"If he dies, he dies. we'll make a new one."##
[[/=]]

I was replaceable. Even as the heir to the throne, Father truly could make a new one.

[[=]]
##70D8E5|"Maybe it'll get Pluto to be useful for once instead of hiding between your legs crying like a failure."##
[[/=]]

I failed Mother. Failed to save her. Failed. Failed. Failure.

[[=]]
##70D8E5|"If it were before I knocked you up, you would have won. But having that boy made you //soft."//##
[[/=]]

She is dead because of me. She is dead because of me. She is dead because of me. She is de

[[=]]
##7D7098|Thud.##
[[image https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/local--files/scp-7603/Guilt.png style="width:100%"]]

[[/=]]

Her skull is screaming forever, locked in a glass cage.

I am sorry. I wish I could have been the son you wanted. If I were, perhaps Father would have spared you. 

I deserve no throne. I am no Lord of Violence and never ever could be.

[[=]]
##7D7098|"Oh? What would you rather be?"##
[[/=]]

I wanted to be like you. Brave, compassionate, and beautiful. Someone who helped people. Who helped everyone.

But... I can not.

[[=]]
##7D7098|"You are capable of so much more. We know you are."##
[[/=]]

I... do not know if I can.

[[=]]
##7D7098|"I know you can do it, but I don't want you to do it for me, or Therion. I want you to earn the throne for you."##
[[/=]]

I only wanted to make you proud of me.

[[=]]
##7D7098|"Pluto, no matter how you earn your seat at the throne, I know that you'll make me proud."##
[[/=]]

Mother...

[[=]]
##7D7098|"You will always be my little Rose Petal."##
[[/=]]

...Thank you.

I stared at the Red Dragon through the scope of his rifle. I knew he did not want to hurt me. But he had to. Therion took his choice away from him. But I still had the ability to choose for myself.

And in that frozen moment I made my choice.

I decided who I was going to be.

I did not want to hurt him.

But I //needed// to kill him. And no one was going to stand in my way. Not myself. Not Therion. And sadly, not even the Red Dragon.

He took aim, but I still had my dagger. I took notice of which eye he used to aim, and without hesitation, I thrust my dagger deep into my eye socket. It hurt. But I grit my teeth and pressed on, I twisted the knife deep into my ruined eyeball and ripped it out with all the force I could muster.

The Red Dragon flinched as his eyeball erupted into a waterfall of blood and fluid. He fired a shot and it goes wide, piercing through the burning canopy. He attempted to re-adjust, and took aim with his off-eye. I tried to think of a way to disable him from this range, some body part he needed that I could sever.

I looked at the stump of my right arm and regretted that I had not re-directed the damage back at him when he first shot. Being right handed it would have severely effected the Red Dragon's shooting ability.

And then I realized.

My arm was gone yes but the //stump// left behind had enough of my bicep left to cut through and sever his arm. I needed to work fast to beat his trigger pull and so I raised up my left arm up high and brought it down //hard// onto my mutilated appendage.

The dagger sank about half-way through my bicep before it stopped and I heard the dull thud of blade hitting bone, I had hoped the acid burning it earlier would have deadened my nerves, but I was not so lucky. While my pain tolerance training had paid off, I will admit that cutting through the bone was always the hardest part to stomach.

The Red Dragon's upper arm split open and the rifle aimed high. He attempted to re-adjust.

I pulled my dagger out and brought it down again harder. I felt the blade reverberate as it cracked through the bone, the ensuing hand shock nearly enough to make me lose my grip. But my own bitter rage and conviction continued to fuel me as I held onto the knife tight. I pulled it out and brought it down again. And again.

The Red Dragon fired his rifle rapidly, his shots were closer to me than before, hitting the tree behind me, the ground in front of me and once narrowly missing my head. His shots have lost their accuracy, it was erratic, he was desperate.

Afraid.

I made one last push, and managed to cut through the bone and the rest of my muscle and tendon. The severed piece of my arm landed on the soil below. As did the Red Dragon's right arm and gun.

I knew it would not be enough, not for someone like him. Without a moment lost, he reached down with his left hand and brought the rifle under his armpit and attempted to hip-fire it. He could not lose this fight. He had nothing else left. It was this or //nothing.//

Just like me.

I threw my dagger to the side and pulled out Blood Rose. I stood up on my one remaining leg and lunged towards him. I squeezed my hand around Blood Rose's thorned body, and watched as the Red Dragon's left hand burst into geysers of blood.

He fired, and he missed. I heard the bullet whistle past my ear, but I did not care. He could shoot me all he wants. Adrenaline washed away all the fear left in my body.

He fired, and I feel the bullet tear through the fabric of my hoodie, but it narrowly missed my flesh. When I was close enough to him I raised Blood Rose like a harpoon, its silhouette casting a shadow that eclipsed him. 

He pressed the barrel of the rifle against my chest and pulled the trigger.

We heard a click.

Blood Rose sank deep into the Red Dragon's chest, its roots spread throughout his body and erupted into spikes that perforated him from within.

He fell on his back, and I pushed Blood Rose deeper and felt its prongs pierce through his back and into the dirt. The roots continued to grow and pinned him to the soil.

I kicked his rifle out of reach and fell to my knees. I turned my head to the side and vomited.

I did it.

I won.

I gripped tight onto Blood Rose as my hand trembled. Not from the pain of its thorns piercing my hand, but from the adrenaline rush my body went through. It took me a while before I noticed the Red Dragon's hand on top of mine.

I froze, at first. I was not ready for another fight, not so soon at least.

But instead he held my hand. "Thank you."
 
"E-Excuse me?"

"I never properly thanked you back then, when you stopped to heal me. Even though you were running away, you still wanted to... help me." His grip on my hand felt weak and cold. "I wanted to thank you but I just... couldn't. I regret that. I'm sorry."

"Please, do not apologize, I only made it worse." I let go of Blood Rose and held onto his hand.

"No. //You// didn't," he winced.

"Well... for whatever it is worth now, you are welcome." 

There was a pregnant pause. There had been something at the back of my head ever since I had heard of the Red Dragon. So I broke the silence.

"Who were you? Before Therion made you into his personal assassin. What... What did he //do// to you?" I thought back to what those demons downtown said. 

Just... what was he really? A fallen angel? A lab experiment?

My brother?

The thought of the Red Dragon being my own brother, that Therion had turned one of his own children into his... //slave.// It made me feel ill.

He was silent for a moment, his eyes stared deeply into mine as he searched for an answer. And finally, he found one. "… I'm a loser," he began. "My entire life… I was nothing but a loser. I wasted it being the pawn of a rich monster who despised my existence. I thought if I worked hard enough for him then I could... be valuable. That Therion could //make// me valuable." He turned his head to the side and looked away from me. "I was wrong."

I wanted to tell him otherwise, but I truly did not know what to say. I could not deny that I felt the exact same way.

As I held onto his hand, I got the impression that this was the first time he had ever //confided// in someone. I tried my best to be gentle with him and stroked his ruined hand with my thumb. "No, I would not call you a loser. You tried... You were another victim of Therion's. One out of hundreds."

"... It doesn't matter. Not anymore. I've failed... and you need to finish the job."

"No. It is not too late. We can still kill him together. We wait until we are whole again, replenish your supplies, and then take him out with an ambush."

"... An ambush? how?"

"Simple. You bring me in, as if you are about to follow Therion's orders. He will make me surrender the fork. While he is distracted with that, you shoot him, and I finish what is left using Blood Rose... A fitting end for someone who originally came from the 9th Circle."

The Red Dragon was silent. He tightened his bloody hand around mine as he stared at me.

Through his steely façade I saw that light shine behind his eyes, brighter than ever.

The warm light of hope.

"I... have a safehouse in the city. An apartment under a pseudonym. I have a cache of munitions there. Spare armor. Hidden in-case I ever needed it," he looked at me. "Therion won't be killed by a plan as simple as that. When we hit him, we need to hit //hard,// and all at once. If we give him even a second to recover, we're dead."
[[f>image https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/local--files/scp-7603/Kimaris_makes_guns_and_protein_bars.png style="width:330px;"]] 

"We can fine-tune the plan there, then. Therion would certainly not be expecting a surprise attack from the people he considers... 'failures,' his words. We can use this to our advantage, all the same." I give him a confident nod and squeezed his hand back. "We can do this. //Together."//

"If we... fail, I expect you should know what will happen to us." I knew. A skull locked forever in a glass cage for him to leer at. Or to play with. "... Is that something you want to risk? Are you willing to sacrifice everything to kill him?"

"I would rather that than live with myself knowing I did not take my one chance to fight back," I answered immediately. I felt something in my chest. Fear? Probably. But with it came a righteous determination to avenge Mother and make this monster pay for everything he had done.

"... Alright," he said as he let go of my hand. "There's a protein bar in the pouch here" he pointed at one of his pouches. It was blood stained like the rest of him, but intact. "Eat it, regain some energy, and mend your wounds. Once you've recovered enough to heal me, I'll bring you to the hideout."

I took the protein bar out his bloodied pouch and took a bite. It tasted like chocolate chip cookie dough. "Thank you. I appreciate that..."

"I take back what I said earlier..."

"Mm?" I tilted my head to hear him better.

"Mhm, you're still young and inexperienced, yes, but..."


[[=]]

----
@@ @@
+ [https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-7603/offset/4 "You've got a lot of potential."]
@@ @@
[[/=]]


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Towards Self - Part 2

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