Chapter Text
Colette ran ahead.
Telesphore stayed close to Eisen, holding his hand as they ran, the gunfire pinging wildly around them.
The smallest exclamation from Telesphore and he was facedown in the dirt.
Eisen stumbled but didn't fall. He tugged at Telesphore's arm. "Come on, now's not the time for a nap." He tugged even harder, shaking the limp limb. "Get up, Tels!"
Colette circled back, having gotten too far ahead and realized she was alone. Eisen had moved Telesphore just enough that his head turned to the side.
His eyes were dark.
"Eisen, we've got to get out of here!" She hissed.
"Can't you see I'm trying?" Eisen hissed back. "Help me get him to his feet, we can get him back to the van together-"
"Look at his eyes, Eisen!"
Eisen closed his own, devoutly refusing to make the possibility real. He heaved at Telesphore with all his strength. He pulled with all his rage and fear. Green magic started around his hands where he gripped his partner and spread up his arms and across Telesphore's back. In moments it encased both of them in swirling, manic clouds of energy. Bullets dodged the maelstrom. Telesphore rose just enough to avoid friction with the ground as Colette watched with wide eyes.
Eisen dragged Telesphore with them until the bullets stopped coming.
Colette tugged at Eisen's hand, barely keeping pace with him. "Eisen! Eisen, stop! We've. We've lost them!" She called out between panting breaths.
Telesphore hitting the ground with a heavy thud fully obscured the sound of Eisen's knees doing the same.
Eisen panted, his vision swimming with green. It took effort but he crawled his way to Telesphore's side. "Okay Telsie. Hard work's over. You can- wake up now." He pressed into the purple stain across Telesphore's back. "C'mon. 'S time." Eisen's words slurred together as his eyes blinked slowly, each opening harder than the last. "Wake. Up."
His eyes didn't open this time.
Eisen slumped across Telesphore's corpse.
Colette sat on Telesphore's other side, knees pressed tight to her chest, held his cold, alien hand, and cried.
The trio, more or less, spent the night huddled together there on the forest floor. With Telesphore dead, Colette cried herself to sleep uncertain of Eisen's fate.
--
Eisen woke to find his vision filled with the too familiar deep purple of Telesphore's dried blood.
It wasn't on Telesphore, though. He looked around in confusion, old blood on his hands and Telesphore nowhere to be seen. Colette laid on the ground in front of him, still asleep, and next to his own head...
Soft green petals, and pale blue leaves.
No.
No!
"Telesphore!"