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The final Battle cry sounded.
Like a bourbon resonating and piercing through the ears of everyone present.
The air stilled and vibrated dangerously with every tiny tremor that came from the belfry.
Everyone halted just as if the slightest hum would vitiate through the thin thread of peace and silence that befell them.
“It was fun while it lasted,” the hero breathed.
“Can't say you did much good but you made a difference. I'll miss ya,” they laughed out, but their voice dulled as they said the last sentence.
“It was fun while it lasted,” The villain responded weakly but full with their confident, cocky tone, brushing off the hero’s last statement.
A pregnant pause.
Everyone stopped their battles and came to a standstill. All grudges held against each other ceased at the moment. In that second no one saw the enemy or opponent, just people who had been hurt. But ended up on 2 very different paths.
In that second of stillness, everyone on the field of rubble and debris felt bare. Finally allowing some room for themselves to let free of their restrictions and stand without the vigor and stress fate had laid for them.
In that second, they knew it stopped. The World. Time. Each one of them all.
“But all good things must come to an end.” They smiled. “Fate is not kind, dear. And it never will be.” Everyone was listening. Tears clotted in eyes and some of which that’d formed at the beginning fell in silent weeps.
“It never was.” The villain whispered as the rest of the sentence was left unsaid, yet it echoed in each person’s mind.
It never was to us.
The hero sighed as they solemnly spoke, “They never were.” as he lay there, beside the dying villain. “You were great. The best even. ”
“Man I sure hope so-” they dawdled, different sorts of emotions slipping through but were cut off by choking on their own blood. Spitting out the disgusting blood, the villain laid back once more and sighed slightly closed their eyes.
“Guess this is the end, huh? Thought it’d be more painful?” The hero asked in a bittersweet voice.
“It is painful, dumbass, you’re not the one dying…but never the end my dear,” The villain snarked back, only now admitting of their pain, as they tried to console the hero.
“It’s only the beginning. Ya got tha’.” their voice slurred as the hero sniffed away their sobs.
“Oi.” it started getting more strained. “You’re gon’ go out there, an’ you’re gonna make me proud, kay? Prove to me what we did mattered.” they pointed weakly to their comrades, “They're waiting fo’ someone. Promise me it ain’t in vain an’ change the world with it.”
The Villain -if you could even call them that anymore- poured the rest of their energy into their last sentences.
They whispered finally. Adrenaline was long worn off and death started to settle into their bones.
“Since when were you the type to give pep talks?” The villain only spared a small smile. Blinking harshly and wiping their tears away the hero gave a determined little smile of their own through grief.
“I’ll show the world we weren’t ones to be underestimated.” The hero resolutely vowed, “I promise you. They’ll never know of anyone like us. I Promise.” They whispered back returning every plea, every breath, every promise and desire for they were the only ones who truly understood every want and meaning of each other.
The hero cradled and caressed the villain's hand as they finally succumbed into the thorny yet gentle hands of death with a small smile on their face, knowing even if they weren't there, they’d forever be remembered.
Carefully letting the hand slip out of theirs just like the life of the villain in front of them, they stood up. The last of his tears fell away and onto the shirt of the breathless body of the villain.
Turning to the grim crowd, they locked eyes with both the villain and their right-hand men who were leaning on each other in support as they looked upon the hero with hope and pain, eyes searching for good news on their face.
They solemnly closed their eyes and looked away.
The villain’s closest assistant fell onto his knees in sorrow, hope no longer there to support them. Their own person fell with their grieving counterpart in shock. The people behind them saw this and realized too, that they had just lost. Who they just lost.
The hero simply steeled themself and made their way into and through the crowd of injured soldiers. Once through they only looked back and spoke,
“We will fight, and we will keep fighting until we win.” They resolutely declared.
“And that's what we have fought this far for, to keep our children and make our world a better and safe place! We have lost many to the war but I won't let their sacrifices be in vain because they weren't just sacrifices . They were people. People who loved and were loved by others. They put themselves out there to protect us and to make a change. And I will make sure to change the world, to keep us safe.” They finished, turning to the world, but this time ready to take it on with no one and nothing by their side but a promise.