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Blood soaks through his coat, and slowly flows outwards across the ground. He hadn’t meant to kill her, but it seemed almost fitting. She killed his leadership and reputation, he killed her.
Henry knelt down, carefully picking up the remains of her once light pink hat that had since been stained a deep crimson red, noticing her body was not nearby.
He looked around the ruins of what had once been potentially the greatest crime syndicate in the world. Hardly anyone had survived the battle, especially since it had ended up a free for all after the weakness of loyalty was revealed in the form of mid-fight side switching. He had known that only a select few could be given even a little trust, as someone who won’t speak in favor of their side could easily switch at the first sight of potential hurdles.
He could’ve sworn he felt the ghost eyes of slain Toppats following him as he wandered through the battlefield. Thomas Chestershire, who had been the most loyal to him since he had finally caused Reginald to lose his leadership. Geoffrey Plumb, who hadn’t been much of a fan of the fighting but wasn’t opposed to seeing the weasel, and his pride, get taken down a few notches. Sven Svensson, who just wanted the power, but not the work nor loyalty that came with it.
He stumbled across a familiar face. Ellie Rose, a vengeful one till the very end. He hadn’t been the only to deliver the killing blow, or any blow since he hadn’t actually seen her, but he didn’t particularly mind that fact. He had actually meant to take her prisoner, make her suffer for knocking him so far down. However, it only took one bullet to send that plan out into the gutters.
As Henry made his way back to his base, he thought back on how he got here in the first place.
He was able to sabotage the rocket before it could launch, but had to act fast since he knew repairs would start quickly after realizing the issues. Him and his followers were able to convince rival gangs to join them to take down the Toppats, with the promise of the space station along with the infamy if they won.
He entered the hidden base to immediately be greeted with Dave, who knew too much to be let go but who also didn’t have anything to return to. He had actually ended up becoming kind-of friends with Henry’s two loyalists, but hadn’t joined the fight knowing he had bad aim and probably wouldn’t be able to convince himself to shoot somebody anyways.
“The others are dead, aren’t they?” Dave asked somberly.
Henry nodded and the two were left in silence for their fallen friends, the same question plaguing both their minds.
“Was it ever worth it?”