\[William’s POV\]
I look around, trying to figure out what the source of the sudden rumble is, and I quickly get my answer as a loud boom sounds and the roof above our heads disappears.
“Shit!” Charlie hisses, beginning to move. “These bastards really are fucking crazy.”
Crazy was an understatement. Was this my father’s way of saying that if he couldn’t have Crystal Fang, then no one else could? He was destroying the whole fucking building and any type of proof toward what it was he was doing.
Looking around, I try to spot the bitch that was working with him, only to find that she has already escaped. But what about my father? Continuing to search, I finally find that Jose, who is approaching us quickly, has him thrown over his shoulder.
“Don’t just stand there!” Charlie continues. “We need to get the hell out of here before the building collapses.”
Nodding, I pull Elise, who is fading in and out of consciousness, closer to me and begin to move. However, when we reach the stairs that will lead us to freedom, we find that they’ve already been blown up.
“Window.” Jose murmurs, hoisting my father’s unmoving body further up his shoulder, looking around. “It’s the only option.”
“Right.”
We could simply jump out a window to the ground and then run for safety before the whole fucking building went boom.
“This way!” I announce, beginning to lead the way toward my office. “There’s a big enough window…”
The rest of my words get lost as multiple explosions sound, blowing doors off the rooms that surround us and sending us crashing to the floor.
“Fuck.” I growl, understanding that my father managed to rig every damn room and exit. “He’s determined to kill us.”
The only option left was to jump to the ground floor and make a run for it, even if every damn exit was now up in flames.
“Leave me.” Elise whispers, drawing my attention to her. “You won’t be able to escape fast enough if you don’t.”
Leave her. Was she out of her fucking mind? There was no way I would leave her. If she was going to die here, then I was going to die by her side.
“Why are we just standing here?” Charlie growls, appearing beside me. “We need to move.”
“Right.” I sigh. “Our only option is to jump down there and run.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice.”
Not waiting for any further instruction, he begins to move, rushing to where the stairs once were and then jumping.
“Come on, throw that bastard Jaxon to me!” He calls after hitting the ground. “And then get your asses down here.”
Nodding, I move and then peer over just as Jose throws my father so Charlie can catch him. Once he’s securely captured, Jose looks at me.
“I’ll see you down there.” He announces, leaping forward and disappearing.
"Alright, it is our turn.” I say, turning all my attention to Elise. “We just have to...”
Another explosion sounds, this one stronger than the previous ones, and before I can even attempt to right my footing, a large chunk of the roof starts to rush toward me.
“Move!” Elise shrieks, digging her claws into me and then shoving hard enough to take me by surprise.
As she does, she wriggles free, and when she hits the ground, she uses the last bit of her strength to kick out, sending me crashing to the ground just as the piece of roof connects exactly where she is lying.
Instantly, the world around me disappears as pain shoots through me.
When I hit the ground, I jump up and attempt to move, but am stopped by two sets of hands.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Charlie growls as I begin to fight him. “Do you have a death wish?”
“Elise,” I snarl, keeping my gaze fixed on the spot where she just was. “I HAVE TO GET ELISE!”
At my words, looks of pain cross Charlie and Jose’s faces, confirming my worst fear.
“Don’t make her sacrifice be in vain.” Charlie says slowly. “If you stay here and get crushed, then what she did would be for nothing.”
Sacrifice.
FUCKING SACRIFICE!
I didn’t want to hear that word, not when it involved Elise. Wasn’t it bad enough? I wasn’t strong enough to keep Marigold safe, and now history was repeating itself.
“She isn’t dead!” I snap, attempting to move as more of the building around us begins to crumble. “She isn’t!”
Tears prick at my eyes as my heart feels like it is being ripped into tiny pieces. No. I wouldn’t accept any of this. She wasn’t dead! She was simply playing a sick joke.
“Dammit!” Charlie growls, grabbing me. “WE’VE GOT TO GO YOU, DUMB ASS!”
“NOT WITHOUT ELISE!” I roar, continuing to fight.
For a moment, he continues to hang onto me, and when a huff of frustration escapes him, I feel something slam into the back of my neck right before my world goes dark.
The sound of sirens and flashing lights just behind my eyelids rouses me. They are accompanied by the scent of smoke and rain.
Opening my eyes, I blink a few times before slowly sitting up while my mind reels, trying to figure out where the hell I was.
Looking around, I take in the scene around me, from fire fighters working to put out the burning building in front of me to police leading my father to a car.
“What?” I rasp before breaking into a coughing fit.
“Careful.” Charlie, who is sitting beside me, says. “Don’t push it.”
“Charlie,” I say slowly, as memories of everything that took place right before I was knocked out hit me. “Where is Elise?”
At my question, Charlie’s gaze shifts to the burning building, causing all the pain I felt earlier on to come back.
“No!”
I attempt to jump up, but my body won’t do as I say.
“What the hell?” I hiss, continuing to try to move.
“We thought you might attempt to do something stupid when you came to.” Charlie explains. “So we gave you something to keep you from flinging yourself into the flames while the fire fighters worked to put it out.”
“BUT ELISE!” I roar, unable to believe what was taking place. “I have to…”
As I speak, a firefighter appears with someone in their arms. They lay the person on the ground and begin to work on them. I don’t need to move from where I sit to know who that is.
“Elise,” I whisper, beginning to claw my way forward. “I need.”
“No, you don’t.”
Before I can get too far, Charlie is reaching out and grabbing me around the neck. Once he has me securely in his grip, he uses all his strength to press me against the ground, so I’m left to watch the paramedics attempt to rouse Elise.
It is so fucking painful to watch as she doesn’t move despite everything they’re doing, and when one finally sits up and shakes his head, I feel like my world is crashing down around me.
“ELISE!” I yell as tears begin to fall from my eyes. “NO! YOU AREN’T ALLOWED TO LEAVE ME!”
“I’m sorry, man.” Charlie sighs, continuing to hold me in place. “But know that she went out in a blaze of glory, just like Marty.”
Marty. Elise. Uncle Hamilton. All of them sacrificed themselves for Serenity’s sake, but I couldn’t find it in me to feel anything other than crushing pain.