#birdxsly

She had been recovering from an experimental nanite injection when it happened.  Some hitman got the jump on her and Bird when she was still acclimating to the new tech.  She was still raw.  Still sore.  Still too fresh from the operation to stay the blade that sought her neck.

Instead, that blade found itself buried in Bird’s sternum.  He warded the would-be killer off, but not without leaving her alone as he faded into the void in her arms, left with only a puddle of blood and a rune marking her.

His absence was palpable.  Gone was his stupid mug, with that peculiar hair on his face.  Gone was the dumb sense of humor, with that bright beaming smile.  Gone was his signature red coat, hanging by their bed.  Gone was the warmth she snuggled into on cold nights.  Gone were the hands that held her even after she felt the terror of never being held again.

All gone.

Sly threw herself into hunting down the killer.  She learned the motivations; a rival syndicate that quickly folded without its head.  A new market, ripe for the taking, but that was the least of her concern.  All that mattered was that man that caught her off guard and took the one thing he shouldn’t have.

And that man was there, in front of her.

She couldn’t exact her revenge, though.  Not yet.  A few well placed stabs had ripped through her gut, and she lacked the strength to continue their fight.  She bled out on the floor, fuming as he looked like he was gloating.  She didn’t even hear it as she faded off.

When she woke back up, his arms wrapped around her.  The world was tinted amber as she woke up, unable to rub the sleep from her eyes.  Bird hugged her gently, sighing contently.

The nanites, she came to understand, could repair grievous wounds; slowly, but even traumatic, life ending injuries would only result in a brief dirt nap.  Meanwhile, each time, she would dream the bittersweet dream.

However she fell, he would be there, holding her.  Even if he was gone, this was her way of remembering him.  Sometimes, she would have time enough to talk with him, or what felt like him.  He mostly just remarked how much he missed her, and she the same.

This time would be brief, she knew.  Already she felt that familiar feeling of her body being fixed up.  On worse days, she hated the feeling, desperate to simply lie in his arms.

“It’s time,” Bird said, running a gentle hand through her hair.  How she missed that sensation.  It wasn’t fair, to be tortured with these brief reminders of what wasn’t there when she opened her eyes again.  She bit back tears, struggling to stay in that dream.

When she blinked, she was back in that dark room, alone but alive.  She began pulling herself up when the killer sneered.

He didn’t even have time to speak before she flung herself at him.  Struggling to control the blade, she fought with him again.  She would do this as many times as she needed, until she finally got her vengeance.

She cried out as the blade buried itself in her neck.  Another trip to see him, she mused grimly as she stomped his foot, kneed his groin, and stabbed his heart without even the prying the knife from his filthy hands.

The Weave connected all things by its mysterious threads, but sometimes there must be cuts made to keep it from fraying.  That’s one way to look at it, Sly mused as she pushed the blade deep into his chest.  He wouldn’t come back from that one.  She’d make sure of it.

As she staggered over the cooling body of Bird’s killer, she slumped against the wall, breathing shallow breaths as her life seeped out her neck.  She closed her eyes and smiled.  She could finally rest easy.

She felt his arms wrapped around her again, propping her up.

“Well then, that took you long enough,” he joked, resting his chin in her hair.

“Mmm, well, it’s not like you’re going anywhere,” she replied lazily, slumping further into him.  She missed that warmth, even if she couldn’t hear his heart thumping in his chest.  After all that, she decided, that this is where she’d rather be.

“Yeah, not with you dying so much like that.  You’re really holding me up.”

Sly’s eyes opened, eyebrows furrowed.  “What?” she asked dryly.

“Yeah, those nanites are nice and all but with you just throwing yourself at the world with reckless abandon has really put me behind in my return, what with helping your nanites mend you so often.”

Her heart pounded at those words.  If she could, she would’ve gotten up and slapped him for keeping that from her.  Finally, she exhaled out of her nose.  What’s done is done, she realized.  All she needed was patience.

“It’s time,” Bird said softly, stroking her cheek tenderly.  “Go.  I’ll be back soon enough, as long as you don’t throw yourself off a cliff every other day.”

She snickered to herself, letting her eyes close slowly.  She greeted the reality she left, cold corpse in front of her, with a newfound vigor.