Stunned, Hector fell to his knees. Hysterian’s limbs dropped away from Hector’s partially-shifted crocodilian form, letting him fall the rest of the way to the floor. A deep, paralyzing numbness burst out from the spot where Hysterian’s mouth had touched his frame and it bloomed over his body, strengthened by the Cyborg’s putrid blood.
He vaguely noticed his opponent jump to the other side of the room. Janet’s weapon dropped with athud. Sounds tangled in his head. Hector toppled onto his back as the poison spread.
Suddenly, Janet’s face filled his vision as she reached out to touch him. “Hector. Oh my god, are you okay? Zeph?” Her hands never made it to his flesh.
Mr. Heartface seized her and pulled her back. “Don’t.”
“No, stop!” Janet fought, yelling. “He’s hurt. He’s hurt! Hector? Zeph, answer me!”
* * *
Janet fought the android’s hold with everything she had left; metal bruised and bit into her skin with her efforts. Her sole focus was on Hector and his wide eyes, staring straight at her from his shaking, stiff body.
“I can fix him,” she cried.
Hector swallowed slowly. “Janet, don’t fight Bin-one.”
She only fought harder despite his command. Something was wrong, very wrong, and all she wanted to do was get closer to him. As if her nearness would help all the wrongness disappear.
Mr. Heartface shook her when she kept struggling. “Mistress Janet, you can’t go near him. The toxins will harm you.”
“I can save him! Let me save him,” she pleaded.
“No. You can’t,” it said, and when she looked up at the android, a bullseye had replaced the heart on its face.
“Gunner?” she whispered, but the android didn’t answer. A groan drew her gaze back to Hector’s kneeling form.
“You’re hurt,” she said, hating that she couldn’t touch him.
“It’s okay,” he said.
“No, it’s not. This is all my fault. If I had just listened…”
“Stop.”
She couldn’t bear to see him defeated. If she’d only just stayed with Lily, he may have gotten through to Hysterian, and he wouldn’t be hurting like he was now. “Everything I try to do fails.”
His mouth barely moved. “Janet...”
“Please, let me finish—”
“None of this is your fault,” he said, his voice weakening with every word. She stopped struggling. “Everything that has happened, has happened because of me. Everything. I’m a selfish piece of shit. You deserve...so much more than this.”
“Please, don’t,” she begged.
He smiled softly. “Don’t isn’t in my vocabulary.”
She shook her head, her chest aching. “I love you. I love you so much.”
“I know, sweetheart.”
“I never meant for it to end this way.”
“It had to end...for Lily’s sake.” The light in Hector’s eyes dimmed.
Fresh tears filled her own. “I wish we could go back and start again.”
“Me too.”
