Scattered among the Dust. (IT'S WAR, V 2.0)(Dust only)

[Hoch Kreatur]

Parker's estate had seen a lot of traffic as of lately as the amount of Collectors in the area were tripled; snipers, foot soldiers and even demolition experts were dropped off at the estate about two mornings ago without telling Parker exactly why that was. Keeping to the Collector's annoying little habits they didn't dare speak to Parker and when he'd approach them they'd merely give some answer that made absolutely no sense, 'snake watching' was what one Collector told Parker.  These Collectors weren't like the young ones that normally roamed Parker's estate, they were older, men mostly and they all looked like they had seen their fair share of fighting.

Finally in the afternoon of the second day the estate received a dozen more Collectors along with an ambulance that dropped off several injured people. One of those injured people was the leader of the Third Dust Collection Agency, Asteria. They wouldn't let Parker near her for another hour as they set her up in one of the rooms, letting the doctors make sure everything was set up properly before even considering allowing anyone else to see her.

Asteria wasn't alone. After all, wherever the 'Third and Fourth' went a small army followed. Her army was already here, loyal members of the Scythe (controllable and loyal to the Agency) but it was the people who followed Asteria who were of note - two young girls named Key and Haley, sweet and young they saw to all of Asteria's needs. Oliver, Asteria's personal doctor (a man that basically was paid millions for doing absolutely nothing. He was finally earning his paycheck now) and Asteria's general, the number two of the group, Hale, or simply number Two.  Of course all these names for these Collectors are rather unusual but it goes to the fact that Dust leaders often find it easier to name their closest aids. Not only did giving them a name help keep them loyal it also kept them from having to remember some obscene number, like 6,723, which Key had been labeled. 

Hale, the frightening mid fifties year old man didn't like Parker at all. He thought of the boy as a distraction with a name, he thought Asteria should seek out these type of games with the numbered - easier to disregard when it came time. Names always made things more complicated, as they had recently seen.  So as the doctors did their thing within the room Hale kept his back against the wall and merely stared at Parker, perhaps hoping the boy would explode if he stared long enough. He finally pushed himself from the wall and walked carefully over to the wooden rails that overlooked the entrance. He ran his hand along his chin before speaking the first words he had ever spoken to Parker, "If you weren't alive than Asteria wouldn't have been hurt."

With those words the older man turned around and walked away from Parker. He was famished and needed a drink, bad.  Thankfully as the man walked away the doctor exited the room and gave those who were waiting a solid nod, "She can be seen now. One at a time. The Third and Fourth wishes to see Parker first."

[Morgan Flynn]

Parker of course didn't know what to make of everything. It had been confusing up until now, he was used to the Collectors just kind of going about doing whatever they were doing and being very cryptic in why they were doing as they were, though even before he knew of Asteria's accident he felt like something was really, really wrong. It was surreal to think that she'd even been hurt, he thought she was basically invincible, or at least untouchable with the plethora of people that guarded her.

He'd bit his lip hard, feeling for the first time in a long time with these people out of place and uncomfortable. This Hale fellow didn't make him feel any better, the words 'If you weren't alive then Asteria wouldn't have been hurt' struck him a lot harder than he could have imagined. He wasn't there for it, he wanted to argue that it wasn't his doing but at the same time he couldn't help but feel guilty for it because he knew well that Morgan supposedly 'begging for peace' only days before was nothing but a joke. He trusted Asteria just had it handled, she knew everything afterall, she was safe even from Morgan Flynn.

Apparently not. I should have been there.

'Unlike you, I would have done something!' Parker yelled the thoughts in his head as Asteria's general walked away, so desperately wanting to voice them aloud but he of course, as always, was too scared to. Instead he hugged his arms around himself and looked on at the doctor when he was given the word that he could come in. She wanted him there first, that was all that mattered to him right now.

His footsteps could be easily heard as he skid his feet across the floor and into the room, his heart sinking at the sight of his boss, his angel. He felt the rush of guilt in him again welling up with relief that she survived, his bottom lip trembling. He felt bad, this really was his fault, wasn't it?

"A-Asteria..." he managed to squeak out, he hung his head as though he were a child being scolded.

[Hoch Kreatur]

The once nicely furnished room had been basically stripped clean - the bed was moved out to be replaced with a more mobile bed, the chair had been replaced leaving just one of them and the entire area was fashioned for whatever medical emergency would arise - there was even tools for surgery in the room.  The room had a heavy scent of flowers that masked the fact for the last two days Asteria has had nothing more than sponge bath.  Even now though she looked beautiful, her long dark hair brushed to perfection by the two young girls, her dark skin lightly covered with 'white oil' (a oil gathered from plants that grew closely to mana wells, the oil was great for restoring a lively look in the skin) but her eyes were rather glossy as she tried to focus on Parker as he entered the room. Perhaps the blurry vision was from the wound or the fact there was a steady drip of mana entering her bloodstream. Today was the first day she was awake, they had her knocked out on mana for the last two days to help speed the healing and keep the pain down. Now they had lowered the dosage to keep the pain away but allow her to remain consequence.

Aside from her glossy eyes one couldn't tell if she was hurt, until one would spot her exposed shoulder that was heavily wrapped in bandages. Below the bandages was a sight that would make anyone upchuck their food, even with the mana the amount of torn flesh was horrid, and they doctors had to use a flesh supplement to sew the wound shut. They had to change bandages and clean the wound often to make sure infection didn't take, it wouldn't be long until those bandages were stained with blood and other bodily oils that the body dripped out when a wound that great was delivered.

The two young girls gave Parker a light smile before shifting their gaze back at Asteria. Asteria glanced towards the two girls before weakly speaking, "Leave us." Her voice was weak but carried no less authority than before. Key and Haley packed up their things and left immediately, shutting the door behind them. Asteria studied Parker with her weak eyes, her mind was blurred by the mana and she felt only a small kick from her heart at the sight of him. She seemed to lack the words she wished to speak. "Parker..." She spoke finally, a happier grin appearing on her face than she should have had, considering her situation.
 

[Morgan Flynn]

He bit his quivering lip hard as she spoke. Hearing her say his name was relieving though it pained him to hear her weakened. It was weird how it made him react, he immediately moved to her side and grabbed her hand. He knelt by her and placed his forehead against her hand, snuggling it lightly and afraid to put his arms around her otherwise. If he could have he would have cuddled up beside her and stayed there the whole time she was healing, anything she wanted he'd get for her.

He fought back the tears that welled up on him, he didn't want her to see him more upset than he appeared already though it was hard when it truly did feel like this was all his doing.

"I-I should have been there," he whimpered, "he did this to you and got away. I could have caught him!"

It hurt knowing that the most. Even if she'd been shot anyway, Parker knew well that Morgan wouldn't have had a chance to outrun him. All he would have had to do was run him off the road, the weak bastard wouldn't have lived through it.

"Is there anything I can get for you? Anything you want me to do?" he asked then. She was alive and that was what mattered most, he felt as though he had to do whatever he needed to to take care of her.

[Hoch Kreatur]

It was best that Parker wasn't there, otherwise Morgan probably would have turned his gun on him instead. Asteria could understand the anger when betrayed and she had to imagine Parker and Morgan were very close beforehand, but it seemed like all he really wanted was Parker's head. There seemed to be nothing else - aside from the house - Morgan seemed to want other than Parker's head. Of course that wasn't going to happen so long as Asteria was around, Parker had was hers now and to give him away would be a scar on her pride. She valued very little as highly as she valued her pride.

Asteria tilted her head to the side a bit - an action that caused a strike of pain through his neck, even with the mana weakening the intensity - before giving a weak smile towards him. She had seen men cry and whimper before her plenty of times, normally they were begging forgiveness for a great failure as she pressed a sword to their throat, yet Parker was reduced to nothing more than a whimpering puppy because she had been hurt. It was unusual, never had she had someone care so deeply about her that they would get worked up over her health. It occurred to her there that the idea of handing over Parker to Morgan wasn't just a wound to her pride but it also attacked something deep inside her, giving over Parker would have been giving over something she deeply cared about.

With her hand buried within his she used her thumb to lightly caress the side of his hand. "I'm fine." She finally spoke, her voice was broken, weak and it seemed to take a great deal of energy to get out. Yet the smile on her face never vanished, "You look so worried. Please, there's no need to worry so much over me..."

Many months ago she would have loved such worry to be placed on her, worry often meant devotion and that fed into her ego. Yet now his worry pained her and at the same time gave her a sense of belonging.

[Morgan Flynn]

Parker sighed, his body shaking a little as he squeezed her hand, his head still hanging before her.

"I know, but it's just...i-it's Morgan's fault for everything, you know?" he said quietly, "I-I mean, it's...hard to explain I think."

He brought his head up right away then, like an idea had just suddenly come to him as he reached his other hand into his pocket. When he pulled his hand back up he carried inside of it a small purple box, opened inside of it was a gold bracelet, dotted with green jewels. He'd gotten it for her, really unsure of what he could get a woman like her considering that she basically had everything she wanted at her fingertips. He felt dumb trying to think of something, though he braved it anyway. He gave a sheepish grin as he looked down at it,

"But hey, I uh...I-I'd gotten this awhile ago but was kind of hoping to give it to you uh...s-s-sometime. I didn't really plan on it being now but it seems like a uh..." his shoulders rose and fell as he sighed, "it's not right. Morgan takes everyone I care about away from me somehow. I don't know what I would do if he took you away, too."

[Hoch Kreatur]

"Morgan has not got me." Asteria would have spit at his name if she had enough strength to do so. She felt her anger rise as her thoughts turned to the snake of a man, what type of person straps a bomb to themselves!? He wasn't a man and it sickened her to even think about the fool. Asteria glanced up towards the IV and wished that it could give her a bit more mana, the wounds were starting to act up. 

Asteria closed her eyes and tried her best to regain her calm.  Thankfully Parker little act of giving brought her thoughts away from Morgan, causing her to focus her attention upon the gold bracelet that seemed to reflect in her eyes. In Asteria's time she had been given jewelry of great value; diamonds dug from the veins of To Kentro, gold rings made from the golden chairs Dwarven Emperors used to sit upon and gems that were fit for an Empress. Yet seeing the bracelet brought upon far more feelings than any of those things ever did. She made a small gasp when shown it and took the bracelet into her hand, "It's beautiful, Parker." Asteria said as she lightly pressed her thumb against the gold and ran her hand across it. 

It was far too painful to use her right arm so essentially she was limited to a single hand, which of course made tasks like putting a bracelet on impossible. "Would you please help?" She asked, giving a glance towards her wrist.  

[Morgan Flynn]

Parker wasn't the brightest there was in men. He'd found the bracelet in a shop in the marketplace, something off on its own that seemed to sell things that looked different in design from the regular itty bitty gems and gaudy pieces that were sold. He had paid quite a few hundred thelos for it (still not quite registering he had a lot more than that) and to him it looked lovely and the woman he pictured it on was what made it look even better than that. He might have bought a cheap overpriced knockoff from a pirate and he would have never known. His heart was at least in the right place.

"A-and he never will!" Parker found himself spitting out once he'd attatched the jewled piece to her delicate wrist. The fact she'd even accepted the gift from him spoke wonders to him, seeing her in this condition and willing to wear the things he'd brought her stirred something in the young man he'd never quite felt before. Morgan angered him more than ever, just as much as he was terrified of him. He held her hand afterward in his, giving Asteria another pained look. She was his Asteria and Morgan couldn't have her!

"I won't let him. I want to stay here with you, anything you want I can do for you. And I'll crush him myself if he tries to come back!"

Well he said that. He really did mean well though he wasn't really smart enough to fight Morgan. Wasn't that brave either. But he'd still put in a decent effort before he died horribly.

[Hoch Kreatur]

Asteria watched as her brave Parker voiced defiance and anger over Morgan, threatening violence if any more harm would have tried to come to her. She had heard perhaps hundreds of other men and women proclaim the very same thing, Collectors vowing to bring justice for the dishonorable acts Morgan had committed like knights of the old. Yet here was Parker, her knight vowing to defend his lady. It was obscenely sweet. She'd kiss him if it didn't hurt too much to lift her head.

"I feel safer already," she spoke sincerely and sweetly. Asteria examined the piece of jewelry and smiled. It hadn't even occurred to her how much the young driver had changed the way she acted, it would provide some amusement to remember she was mere moments away from ordering his death before she had invited him to her bed. It was the best decision she had ever taken, never before had she ever cared for someone as much as they cared for her.

"Parker," she said softly, staring widely into his eyes before speaking, trying to find the exact words she wished to say. Suddenly for the first time she realized she was speechless, that the words she wished to say were suddenly gone and her confidence with it. She shut her mouth and merely smiled sweetly at him.

-
Outside of the mansion roamed dozens upon dozens of Collectors. Snipers covering the walls of the estate and the rest carefully roaming the property, the dark night making it rather difficult to see anyone and the lampposts only gave a soft amount of light.  A young Collector gave a heavy frown as he traversed through the dark reaches of the hedge with the heavy rifle slung over his shoulders as he nearly tripped half a dozen times in the small pockets in the ground.

"Fuck..." He hissed softly before pulling himself together. He was eight minutes away from having his shift ended and he was eager to get out of this maze of hedges. Suddenly he realized he had no idea where he was, not having recognized the extravagantly cut hedges that formed what looked like a dragon. The Collector opened his mouth as if to say something to the large hedge, perhaps to ask direction, before he realized he was completely alone. "Gods be damned!" He hissed before a quick movement caught his eye. He froze, the noise spooking him as he slung his rifle off his shoulder and brought it up, pulling the bolt back as his fears gained the best of him.

"Who goes!?" He demanded, his boyish voice breaking under the weight of his fear. The noise intensified, causing his eyes to squint as he spotted what it was coming from, focusing his eyes upon the area he readied himself.

"Oi!" A voice suddenly shouted, the commanding but young voice causing the Collector to pull his weapon away, "What do you think you're doing!?"

"Ah, my apologies, ma'am." The Collector apologized to his superior; a younger girl with thick brown hair and soft hazel eyes.

"You could have shot me." She hissed, "Why did you walk off like that?"

"I was patrolling." He defended, his eyes wide as he feared retribution for his mistake.

"Yeah? Well I hope you plan on doing so for the next hour. Pointing a gun at me!" The girl hissed out so angrily that the boy thought the words might cut him. Of course his fear was extinguished at the discovery he would be out here longer. He slung the gun over his shoulder and raised his hand to try and protest her choice, except he never got the chance as one more individual suddenly caught his attention. A much larger Collector appeared from the darkness, his black uniform indicating he was part of the Scythe. The two Collectors froze up at the sight of him. The Scythe were killers, cold and merciless. Everyone feared them.

"Sir!" The girl finally squeaked, not knowing his number. If the Scythe even had numbers... not much were known about them, "We were just securing this part of the area."

The man examined them carefully, his eyes tracing over the younger two with a great sense of boredom in his movements. "Just you two?" 

"Yes, sir." She confirmed. The man gave a small frown and a shrug.

"Good." 

The younger man didn't even realize what was happening because in a moment the larger man had wrapped his arm around the boy's throat, a large dagger pulled out of the Scythe's pocket before the elite killer plunged it into his cut and dragged it across, spilling out the boy's innards and keeping his hand tightly over the boy's mouth to keep his scream muted. The boy was dead in moments and the girl reared by, grabbing for her revolver as fear overtook her. He slapped the revolver out of her hand, causing the girl to stumble back and reach for her knife. She should have screamed, a scream would have gotten word out there was trouble, but her training had taken primary control of her movements and many would pay for it. He tried to rush her but received a quick slice across his arm, causing him to drop the large knife to the floor, but that was the only strike she managed to get out for the Scythe's long arm sweep out and smacked the girl across the face, causing her to stumble back and fall. The man was on her just as quickly, her large arms wrapping around her throat and squeezing hard. Moments later he had crushed her windpipe, leaving the girl dead as he rose from the ground.

The muted screams of other Collectors could be heard if you really listened. It was time.

[Morgan Flynn]

He didn't even have anything to say now. Something smart, something flashy and romantic or something like all those really cool guys did in the movies. Icos El-Elron had awesome moments like those, and Parker really wanted to just cheat and use one of his movie lines but as he looked into Asteria's eyes he suddenly got lost. She deserved more than some lame already-thought-up speech, if he was going to say something he had to do it himself. Think, Parker, think!

Yet as he looked on into her highly dazed but scintillating eyes he found nothing. So he smiled lovingly, squeezed her hand, and leaned in for her to gently place a kiss on her lips.

[Hoch Kreatur]

The Scythe members moved through the courtyard at first, cutting down the red shirted Collectors as they went. Perhaps nearly a dozen more Collectors had been killed as they slowly moved from the courtyard outward. The front gate were guarded by perhaps close to a dozen red shirt Collectors who were armed to the teeth - rifles, blades and revolvers, they guys had more weapons on them than some nations army's did.  About eight Scythe Collectors moved to the back of the gate and stood at attention, staring coldly over at the red Collectors that watched them wearily. They increasingly grew aware of the presence of the Scythe and the complete lack of red Collectors... 

Back at the front of the estate, large bonfires marked the area where the encamping army of red Collectors sat; playing cards, eating, drinking and sharing stories with one another. Their laughter and jests filled the summer night with a false sense of security. The small of army of Scythe trooper approached the surrounding camp, rifles and blades in hand. One red Collector caught sight of them.

"Your rotation done already?" The Collector asked in the poor Tongue many native To Chamenians had. The Scythe soldiers stepped dangerously close to the red Collectors, exchanging glances towards each other before giving a solid nod.

"Aye, it's over." He grunted out before reached for the nearest Collector, grabbing a great amount of his hair and running his blade into the man's throat. The other Scythes proceeded to strike at the red Collectors and finally the screams of those being killed filled the night. Clashes of blades and gunfire followed swiftly as the two armies clashed.

The red Collectors at the gate could hear the screams clearly, causing the young men and women to shift their stance towards them. "What the hell?" One gasped, peering past the Scythe soldiers to try and spot what was happening in the distance - the trees and bushes made that impossible. The red Collector took one tentative step forward when three great lights were suddenly shined upon them from the road - three distant trucks were approaching fast.

"We're under attack, to station-" The Collector was cut off when the Scythe Collectors raised their weapons and fired upon the red Collectors who had foolishly turned their backs on them.

-

The first scream caught Asteria from her drunken haze of mana and emotions that had placed her in a comfortable state, she nearly got up from the bed before the shooting pain kept her still. Her eyes stared towards the door as the gunshots echoed out and the clashes proceeded. "What...?" She questioned, unsure who would be attacking them and how they had gotten so close so quickly. Asteria shifted her gaze towards Parker before back at the door, "Guard!" She yelled as the door opened to two red Collectors, their faces clear with fear. 

"What's happening?" 

The two Collectors exchanged glances before finally looking back at her, "We need to move now. The estate is no longer safe." A healthy guard of red Collectors filled the room, working quickly to prepare Asteria to be moved. They moved and shoved their way past Parker while they worked to get her mobile. "The Second of the Third is right down the hall and is waiting for us." The Collector told, referring to the older man Parker had spoke with before. 

Asteria, still dazed a bit by the mana was overwhelmed by all the Collectors who entered the room, scanning their faces to look for Parker. "Stay close, Parker!" She finally yelled out as they lifted her from her bed and placed her into the wheelchair. 

[Morgan Flynn]

As quickly as Parker had said the words it seemed the place suddenly went under fire. What was this? Some kind of cruel punishment or test for the last time he told a lady he'd protect her and he ran instead? He paled as the screams and gunshots echoed, a little lost at first as the Collectors who'd come charging in shoved past him to get to Asteria. Again and again this happened, the familiar rush coming back to him and as much as he looked like a lost baby deer in the headlights there was so much going on in his mind and body that no one could really understand.

Her voice calling out to him brought him back to the scene, and the first thing he realized was that if he didn't keep on them then she'd probably disappear and leave him wondering where they'd moved her. More than that, this was a time they really should have been asking him to deal with it! Parker chased after the group as Asteria was put in the wheelchair.

"I'm right here!" He yelled over them, offering a frantic wave of his arm as if somehow that were enough to assure her he was right there.

"H-hey guys, where do we need to go? I can take her there, I can get you out of this! " he continued to the others, offering up his services almost as though he were worried they would forget he had the "flee/pursue" thing as a hidden ability.

[Hoch Kreatur]

The Collectors at the gate were being wiped out, gunshots and screaming slowing to a halt as they were wiped out. Two Scythe Collectors moved to the gate and unlocked it, pulling open the steel gate while the others finished off any wounded red Collectors. "Ahh," one red Collector moaned sickly as he held the gun wound that had torn through his abdomen, the Scythe Collector lifted his weapon and let off another shot, ending the Collector with a shot to the head.  The trucks that had briefly distracted the red Collectors tore through the now open gates, carrying dozens of other Scythe Collectors into the estate.

The fighting in the front of the mansion wasn't going well for the red Collectors that were struggling to regroup. The fighting was close quarters and it was almost entirely done by swords and knives, the Scythe Collectors plunging their Dwarven steel blades deep into the reds as the younger man fought back valiantly. It was by no means an easy killing for the Scythe as the reds fought back the best they could, taking many of the elite soldier's lives as they fought back.

One red Collector, a man of twenty six and military trained within the Thelotian military took four lives before having his face hacked in half, spilling blood and brains upon the stew he and his men had been eating just moments before.  A Ellusian lady took three before falling to the blades and fury of the larger men but the red Collectors were far outnumbered and the skill the Scythe Collectors possessed were miles above the average red Collector.

"Quickly!" The red Collectors who were guarding Asteria said as they wheeled her down the hall, fighting outside growing more intense. Below was the entrance where Collectors sought to bar the entrance from whatever it was they were fighting. A contingent of about eight Collectors formed within the entrance, four red Collectors and four Scythe Collectors.  

One of the Collectors made a glance back towards Parker but didn't respond to him, they had no idea what they were going to do. They estate was compromised so they needed to get out, they had an underground exit that would take them to the lake not far from here and they planned on taking that route. They'd have to foot it though, no car could fit through the old sewer system that the estate had tapped into. 

The older man they sought to unite with came into view, guarded by perhaps two red Collectors he waited by a contingent force of a dozen Scythe Collectors. They were the elite troop after all, it was natural that they would be the ones to guard the two highest ranked Collectors in the Third Agency. Hale, the Second of the Third, looked over at them with a worried look.

"What's going on?" Asteria asked as the red Collectors wheeled her up. 

"Relax, it'll be over in a moment." The Scythe Collectors at the entrance suddenly turned their weapons upon the reds, with four deafening shots ringing out followed by a brief number of cries from the Collectors. Asteria's eyes widened as the dozen Scythe troops suddenly turned upon the reds, grabbing those they were next to and slitting their throats while firing upon the others. 

"No!" Asteria screamed as the Scythe Collectors grabbed her by the locks of her hair and dragged her from her chair, blood spilling from the wound that had just been reopened. Of course one couldn't tell what her blood was and what everyone else's were as the Collectors fought each other.

[Morgan Flynn]

Parker hated not knowing what was going on, especially with the chaos that disrupted the whole estate. His first guess might have been Morgan again if it weren't for the very obvious lack of actual Tyrants and generally dumb street thugs. He felt quickly forgotten about already with the lack of response from the red hoods and as such he let himself fall behind a few paces as the confrontation between the Scythe and the reds happened. He paled at the sight, and hearing Asteria's response confirmed this was very wrong. Just his luck as quickly as he had said he would fight he seemed to need to, his eyes opening wide to the setting around them for anything and absolutely everything he could use as an escape.

His body went numb the moment the Scythe Collectors grabbed Asteria, her shrieks stirring up a panic in him that by some unknown force made him spring into action.

That was when Parker did something fucking awesome. Leaping in as the red Collectors started to fall the man threw a giant Dwarven antique vase with pedestal and all that it previously rested on into the group. From there he dove onto the nearest fallen red, taking hold of his fallen gun and shot as he charged ahead at the fool who'd grabbed his beloved, taking three of them to their knees in a pool of their own blood.

At least that's how he imagined it was going to go. What actually happened was that he leaped in as the red Collectors started to fall, tripped over his own foot and used the fall against the large marble pedestal to help him, launching it and the large antique Dwarven vase at the group. He stumbled, scooping up the nearest gun he could get his hands on courtesy of a fallen red, and pointed it upwards at what he thought was the head of the Scythe Collectors who'd grabbed his precious lady and fired away. He not only shot out half the chandelier hanging above and rained varying sizes of glass shards down on everyone but also the giant painting that hung on the wall behind them, one of the bullets shredding the support cable that held it up and it came crashing down as well.

' whyyyy couldn't this have been a car chase instead?!' Parker's thoughts whined louder than he did. He was actually more speechless right now.

[Hoch Kreatur]

Parker's little act of bravery managed to come as most of the reds were being finished off, bringing all eyes upon Parker in an almost blank look. They at first seemed unsure who he belonged to, but soon their rifles were trained upon him. "Don't!" Demanded Asteria as if her words held sway with these Collectors. Her captor only tightened their grip upon her hair. 

Shots ran down from across the hall, flashes of lights signalling it within the dark halls as bullets zipped past Parker and slammed into two of the Scythe Collectors, dropping them to the ground with a harrowing thud. Suddenly Parker found himself in the middle of a gunfight, bullets zipping, giving the impression he might have found himself in the middle of a pissed of swarm of bees. The red Collectors seemed to be gaining the advantage, dropping two more Scythe Collectors, even managing to hit the one that was holding Asteria and the other holding Hale.

All the weakness Asteria had been feeling was masked by the heavy rushes of adrenaline she was feeling. She reached towards one of the dead Scythe and grabbed his blood soaked blade and immediately brought the blade towards the nearest attack, stabbing it directly in the upper leg which caused the Collectors to screech out and fall, allowing Asteria to bring the blade out of him and plunge it into his skull, bringing a rather satisfying crunching sound as the skull was cracked by the sharp edge of the blade. The next Collector that tried to grab her got a gash right across his hand and was hit by one of the red Collectors that were fighting from the end of the hall.

Asteria grabbed trimming of the wall and pulled herself to her feet. Everything was a challenge for her but she was doing remarkably good. Until, that is, a bullet snapped into the back of her leg, collapsing her back down with a shriek.  Hale stood holding the gun that had shot Asteria, "Drop the guns or she dies!" He roared. The red Collectors intended to just shoot him and it would have worked, if Hale didn't grab Asteria from the ground and pulled her to her feet, using her bloody body as a shield from the reds.

The hall fell dead silent. 

"Drop them now." He ordered once again.

"Don't!" Asteria managed to yell. It didn't matter, the reds were soon executed by Scythe from behind. Two gunshots all it took, dropping the young men with little more than the deafening sound of a gunshot. 

The hall was filled with the haze of the gunpowder and blood that seemed to coat everything and Parker surrounded by Scythe Collectors. Hale didn't smile, he just merely looked towards Asteria and back at Parker.

"Remember, you did all of this." He merely said before squeezing the trigger and firing.