Blood Warning

Ivy couldn't help but watch Carmen as they all fought. The thief looked terrible, battered and almost half dead. Blood soaked the many bandages she wore, but somehow, somehow, Carmen just kept going.

Just kept fighting.

Eventually, the amount of operatives had thinned almost completely, and Carmen yelled at them all to run to the jungle.

"Aw heck no," Ivy muttered, wiping blood and dirt from her cheek, but a warning glance from Shadowsan sent her backing away.

Coach Brunt had approached Carmen, and the thief was looking at her with such a look of hatred that Ivy felt almost physically ill. Carmen suddenly snarled and turned to grab yet another crackle rod, but even Ivy could tell that her movements had once again turned sluggish and tired.

Brunt hit Carmen across her bleeding stomach, and Ivy felt her heart stop at the scream that cracked from her friends throat. Blood was working its way down Carmen's chin as the burly older woman hefted her into the air and said something inaudible.

Ivy felt herself running to them, mind empty of any form of plan, but she stopped. Red streaked over Carmen's face, but her eyes were filled with a kind of courage that almost scared her. The auburn haired young woman suddenly lifted her crackle rod, her fingers twitching over its trigger as the electricity grew brighter.

Ivy's eyes widened at the same time that Carmen shot.

Both Carmen and Brunt dropped to the ground, the latter staying horrifyingly still. Zack and Ivy rushed forward, followed by Shadowsan, and landed on their knees next to Carmen. The thief was shaking violently as heavy sobs ripped from her bleeding lips, and as Zack and Ivy pulled her into their arms, blood seeped into their clothes.

"Carmen, Carmen, I need you to look at me," Zack whispered, shaking her slightly.

"I killed her," Carmen moaned.

"I know, but it's going to be ok. Carmen, look at me."

"I killed her. I killed Coach Brunt," Carmen repeated, tears streaking down her face. She screwed her eyes shut tighter and coughed. "I killed her, I killed her, I killed her... She was my mother."

Ivy bit her lip hard and cradled her friends head sadly. "Carmen, please. Open your eyes. Breath, Carm."

"She's gone, I killed someone, I killed her, no no no nonononononono..."

"She's in shock. She can't hear us," Shadowsan said, coming up and laying a hand on Carmen's sweat-slicked forehead. "We need to get her out of here, now."

"I want to go home," Carmen suddenly whispered. "I just want to go home..." Her sobbing seemed to quiet, and then it stopped all together.

"Did the blood loss knock her out?" Ivy asked, fear swirling in her gut. It was almost possible to believe, but the scars and blood covering Carmen were too much to process. She lifted a trembling hand to Carmen's mouth, then lowered it to her throat.

Ivy whimpered. "She's not breathing."

Shadowsan pulled Carmen's limp frame to him, his movements jerky and panicked. "No, Carmen, come on," he muttered, checking her pulse himself.

It was gone.