"Fine, feel free." As long as Chris was able to get to the Unseen member before anybody else, the plan would be fine. After all, the alterations didn't really concern him. He took a step forward and signed behind his back to Chris, be very quick. Without breaking stride, he walked over to his backpack and picked it up, checking one of the pockets for the plates. "So, shall we go?"
-
"Let him in! Let him in!" a faint cry from the front yelled.
"Daddy, who is it?" Ella asked, eyes sparkling. "A new friend?"
"Shh," Steven said, hovering his hand over her lips. "Daddy's gonna go look. You stay here, okay?" Quietly, he strode across the aisle towards the door. As he grew closer, voices became louder, and people were running around frantically, calling others and trying to get medical supplies. Steven gasped. #72 stood on the ground, kneeling. He gripped his side, covered in blood, sloshing onto the white floor. Eric was next to him, holding a limp body. No, it wasn't just a body, it was Roy. Covered in blood. His only son. Steven had never seen Eric cry, but now his shrieks were bone-chilling, and tears cascaded down his cheeks. They welled up in Steven's eyes, as well. Gareth's image flashed in his mind.
"Daddy, Daddy, what's going on?" Ella poked around the corner and a violent pang of fear attacked his chest. He raced over to Ella and put a hand over her eyes, lifting her up into his arm. "Don't look, Ella," he said, as he watched time slow down in front of him. All the chaos around him started to fade in the background, and he looked straight at Eric. But then, Eric and Roy started to change, and before he knew it he was looking at himself holding Ella. His worst fear.
Blinking, he saw #72 get up and talk to #53. Terror was in his eyes – Steven had never heard of an Unseen being afraid. He tried to listen in through all the motion, taking a couple steps closer. "... it's him. While we were fighting, I saw him..." Him? Who's "him?"
"Are you sure? Then we have to leave right now."
"It's useless. They're coming..." Who? Who's coming? After a few more short exchanges, #53 ran off somewhere and #72 began limping over to Steven. He stood still, tightening his grip on Ella. "Steven... Ella... hide her... don't let her go out..." With that, #72 trudged past him. Waves of fear attacked him. Gareth was right. It was finally time.
At this point, it didn't matter. He deserved it. And he had his own happy moments. But he would fight to his last breath to protect Ella. It didn't matter if whoever was coming struck fear in the hearts of the Unseen. They would never get to her. Not while he was alive.