BANG, BANG

It takes only a moment for his whole world to shatter at his feet.

The protests had been going for awhile now and Wyatt had joined them, mild mannered and kindly he was, wasn’t one for conflicts really unless no other option presented but genocide, sanctioned genocide had been too much,

So he’d joined the protests among city seven’s streets, joining up with friends and family alike that had also come to support their efforts, they’d been peaceful if anything, solidarity with their newfound paradox compatriots and the horror unearthed,

Then whether sanctioned by those high up or not, they had come

SAC’s hunters - because they were hardly mere security forces anymore were they? - they’d come in force and….

And they’d hadn’t come to arrest anyone

Wyatt stared in horror, as his fellow protestors fell around him and the fires caught and raged - how could this be allowed? Did soolyin even know what her thugs were doing? Yet they were allowed to run riot because they were employed by their overseers…

Wyatt coughed and spluttered attempting to help a mother and her child escape as collateral damage got out of control, the SAC hunters of city seven no longer caring - if they ever did - for any casualties of bystanders

And then,

And then,

He’d looked up and caught his eye

It was Vector, his Vector

And there was blood on his claws

He felt the horror creep in as the, the body, Vector had been holding fell from lax claws - the hunter caught off guard as much as the prey now

They stood in silence, the fire and the screams raging around them,

Wyatt didn’t want to think about how many of the bodies were people he knew…

Strange how the world suddenly narrows down in moments like this isn’t it? And all you can hear is the pounding in your ears of your own heart’s attempts to escape your ribcage

It could have been moments, it could have been years

Vector spoke

“You should be home Wyatt, what are you even doing here?”

He blinked and fought the urge to suddenly laugh or was it sob? Oh it all comes crashing down now doesn’t it

“You said you’d be busy at work tonight, i though it was a good time to join the protests while you were busy…I didn’t tell you - given how you thought it would only bring trouble”

He can feel the tears

“I can guess why now, oh god, you’re-“

“I’m doing my job”

“Murder, you mean”

His husband (oh god how didn’t he know he’d married a monster?) snorted “they were inciting violence”

“Oh you know damn well they weren’t vector! I should know myself, I was here all day!” Wyatt spat, the anger and the grief virulent in his words.

Vector didn’t even blink just regarded him with cold eyes and then started turning away, no doubt to continue his job

“Go home Vector, we’ll talk about this later”

And he just, started walking away…

And wyatt just, he couldn’t 

turns out, He’d married a monster, a monster who was going to keep killing,

Unless

Unless, he did something,

He’s breathing heavy, pain and hurt and anger and grief all choking the life out of him and he doesn’t even feel his body move on instinct

All he knows is everything is a lie

And he can’t let anyone else die, too many already have

He can’t stop all the monsters, but maybe he can stop one

-/-/-

Vector knows his job and it isn’t to ask questions, he is a hound of SAC, called upon only when needed most,

And damn but if this city didn’t need em now, with this protest movement crying over already spilt milk.

Wyatt he didn’t expect - he should have, he knows his partner is a bleeding heart but he’d assured himself he’d left Wyatt safe at home, resolving to bring home his favourite chocolate mousse from that one place down saint street since Wyatt had been so down lately.

And now here they were, he tells him to go home and they’ll talk later, he’ll have to make up for all this he knows, but Wyatt shouldn’t be out here in danger like this.

He’s entirely unprepared when he’s suddenly bowled over and the life starts being choked out of him

He coughs, splutters and desperately claws at the wiry yet strong arms that grip his neck, scrabbling for purchase trying to rest his attacker off him

Who the fuck got the drop on him? Fuck, fuck do they have allies? Did they get a hit in on Wyatt too? 

He’s got to get up, he’s gotta kill this bastard and then make sure he didn’t have any friends going after Wyatt

His eyes snap open and glare upwards

He freezes even as he chokes

It’s Wyatt, 

it’s Wyatt trying to kill him,

Wyatt with pure hatred twisting his expression, fury in his eyes, grief in his tears, backlit in a halo of embers and distant fire…

He’s never seen Wyatt with such a vicious expression

Unwittingly tears prick at his eyes, he’s dying, he’s dying  and his partner is KILLING him

Vector snarls, one arm comes up and across

He tears through Wyatt’s cheek and ear, his partner’s cry of pain an animal sound even as it hurts him too.

He gets up, spluttering, looking back as Wyatt cradles his face, he falters

He can’t attack him

But Wyatt looks up with pure hatred, and there’s blood all over his face and there’s bodies around him

Bodies vector put there

And he knows Wyatt has recognised a few of them too

Vector…

Vector has a job to do

-/-/-

For an eternity nothing happens

And then Vector shifts

And advances on him

Wyatt knows, vector will kill him

It’s his goddamn job after all

He can feel the tears, he can hear vector come closer and he fists his hands in pain

Vector doesn’t expect it and that’s what saves Wyatt

He throws burning embers and debris straight into his husbands eyes

Vector screams

And Wyatt flees

Desperate measures, he’s blinded one monster, the others will be after him, he has to get out of city seven, he has to spread the word before this happens again elsewhere,

He has to get off skeria, he’s not safe here, he has to find a new home

Oh god, he’s lost everything,

He has to go.