Black Butler FanFic: Black and White Ch. 39

                The hit was going to be inevitable. I couldn’t possibly get myself away from this situation. Even if I did manage to move off to the side, Claude is a demon; he would’ve just used his inhuman speed to grab the falling light before it would crash onto the wooden floorboard. And, then I would just be the girl who spazzed out on stage. The embarrassment would’ve hurt me more… Mentally, I mean. There was no doubt I could break my neck off of the light.

                But, no matter how many times I thought about dodging the oncoming equipment, it was better for everyone if I stayed put. I’d rather take the fall for everyone. After all, because I was born in the first place, I dragged everyone down, deeper into death. I couldn’t escape my fate, but I can try to protect everyone else from it.

                I hold my breath and shut my eyes, waiting for the oncoming impact. Hopefully, it won’t hurt as much as it looks.

                It felt as if the light would never collide with me. The anticipation for the oncoming injury was unbearable. I just want to get this over with. Then, as the light was mere inches away from me, so close that I could feel the light heating my scalp, I felt a force and I fall. I hear screams.

                But, the force wasn’t at all what I ‘hoping’ for. As a matter of fact, I felt a pair of hands push my back and I fell forward. I wasn’t hit in the head, but I did hear the crash and the screams coming from the audience. Before I fell onto the cold floor, a pair of arms wrap themselves around me, holding me up.

                What happened? This wasn’t at all what I was expecting.

                I snap my eyes open only to be facing a toned chest. I push myself back and look up into Edward’s forest green eyes. I slightly blush, realizing how close I was to him yet again.

                However, my focus quickly turned back to the scene that occured. I push myself away from him, twist my body around, and face the accident behind me. Instead of me on the floor, I find another body in my place. Her dark hair puddled with the pool of blood soaking into the wood. The stage light was lying beside her. Its glass scattered around the floor, and I wouldn’t be surprised if some shards landed on her head.

                “Raina!!!” I scream. Tears were threatening to come out. I cover my mouth and force back the amount of curses that would eventually come out.

                I look behind me and stare at the culprit responsible for causing the incident. I expected to spot his glowing demonic eyes but only find the back of Claude’s head. His black hair bouncing with each step he took away from me. He’s leaving; just like that he is leaving his work behind. Though things didn’t go as planned, he was successful. He did complete his little mission. He hurt me, emotionally. There wouldn’t be a doubt in my mind that he was pleased with his work.

                I wanted to run after him. I wanted to beat the life out of him for what he caused. But, I had another priority, a more important priority, to attend to. I have to be there for Raina.

                I turn back towards my unconscious friend and rush over to her side just as Luis sat beside her.

                He shakes her body, hoping to get a response. “Raina? Raina!! Wake up!!”

                But, nothing came out of her. The only response we could get was the blood seeping out from her head.

                “Oh my God… Raina, please don’t give up on me!!!” Tears fell from Luis eyes. He didn’t want to lose his little sister.

                I kneel beside Raina and brush the hair from her eyes. Her eyes remained shut even when my cold fingers tickled her skin. Luis’s cries and pleads echoed beside me. I thought I was going to break down at any moment. After all, this is all my fault.

                “R-Raina…” I whisper to her.

                Again, no response.

                “Wh-why did you intervene?”

                Aside from Luis’s cries, nothing.

                My lips quiver as tears streamed down my face. “Y-You shouldn’t have taken my place,” my voice cracks.

                Besides my small group of friends, more people gathered around to get a look at the scene. Why were they just standing around instead of helping my friend? How much more useless could humans be? Couldn’t they see that she was dying because of me?

                “R-Raina, you weren’t suppose to intervene. The hit was meant for me.” I place my hands on her cheeks. “You hear me? The light was suppose to hit me.”

                My only response was her emotionless, unconscious face looking back at me.

                “Raina!!” I finally shout. “Don’t you dare leave!!”

                My hands were shaking now. So much that I noticed stains growing on her cheeks. Her blood was staining her skin and my hands. Realizing the mess I was making on her, I pull my hands away and my eyes widen at the sight of her blood on my hands. I didn’t want to hurt her more than I already have.

                This was my fault, after all. I should’ve stood my ground. I shouldn’t have allowed myself to lower my guard, allowing any force to push me aside. Raina took the fall for me. Because she was trying to help, I caused her pain. Because of my inability to protect her, Raina might die from a broken skull.

                My nightmare was, in fact, coming true.

    Even through Luis’s and my sniffles, I hear someone shout out, “Call the ambulance! She needs help!”

                Finally, someone came to their senses. But, it was going to take more than someone’s commands to help Raina. I need Sebastian’s help.

                I straighten my back and glance behind me. Fortunately, no one was blocking my view into the audience. I frantically scan through the crowd. With all the movement going through the crowd, I was practically spotting blobs in the darkened room. My breathing was picking up. I didn’t want to panic but this was a matter of life or death for Raina. I had to help her somehow.

                Then, I remember Tom’s statement. They have to be in the middle of the audience. I focus my eyes at the center of the room and spot not only Tom but also Sebastian, and Mary, and Brad, and Finnick.

                Mary was covering her ear with one hand while she had her phone on the other. There was no doubt that she was already on the phone with the emergency line.

                I glance beside her and look at Sebastian. I stare into his deep red eyes, silently pleading for his help, while he softened his glare at me. He seemed jut as hurt as I was. It pained him not to be able to come to my aid, to comfort me in this time of need, but I need him to follow my orders. I try to mentally relay my message to him while I steady my shaky breathes.

                He blinks before turning away from me. He pushes through each person as he makes his way out of the crowd. He understood me, and he was going to follow my commands. He had to find Claude and make him pay for what he has done. There’s no way Claude was going to get away from this. This was the line he definitely crossed. I was hoping to keep the fight between the four of us; Me, Sebastian, Alois, and Claude; but now he has made a war out of all this.

                But, while Sebastian takes care of the enemy, I have to focus on Raina.

    She has to live. I’m not going to allow any Grim Reaper to take her soul from me, even if I have to fight for it.

~Time Skip~

                The florescent light was practically blurring my vision each time I was looking off into space. I kept my glance on the floor and never once dared to look up. I didn’t want to see the sorrows and pained expressions coming from my friends; I didn’t want to see them hurt for what I was unable to do; I didn’t want to be reminded of what happened to Raina. I also didn’t want to look out into the hospital, to be reminded of the deadly place I got us all into. But, more importantly, I didn’t want to look through the windows in fear that something, or someone, was going to look back at me; their eyes haunting my thoughts and twisting my dreams was the last thing I wanted to be dealing with.

                For the fact that it was three in the morning, there was no way I wanted to leave the sanctuary of the lightened building. I didn’t want to go out into the haunting night to possibly get caught by the same demon that caused all this. That was Sebastian’s job; he has to take care of it. After all, what kind of butler would be if he didn’t aid me?

                For nearly five hours, Luis, Stephen, Andrew, Bell, Edward, and I sat in the emergency waiting room, waiting for any news on our friend… more like family member. But, we weren’t alone. Mary, Tom, Brad, and Finnick were also here to give support; they were as much a part of our “crew” as we all were. There was no way a bunch of “kids” like us could deal with something like this ourselves.

                The automatic sliding door opens, signifying that someone has entered the large waiting room, but I pay no attention to it. I only keep my sight on the off-white, multi-colored splattered tiles. There was no need to know that another poor soul came into the room for any news of their friend or family, someone that I had no intention of finding out.

                Just look ahead and don’t look up. I thought to myself.

                But, I was brought out of my trance when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I look to my left at Mary, who was planted beside me on the rickety cushioned couch. Her chocolate brown eyes looked into my sapphire blue eyes before she turns her head behind her. I follow her gaze and find the “poor soul” that entered the hospital.

                I gasp once realizing that Sebastian came back after leaving me vulnerable for hours. I loosen my hands from Bell’s, as we were practically glued to each other for support. Like small children, we feared that either one of us would break if we dared let go of each other’s hands.

                I push myself from my seat and run over to Sebastian. “Oh my God,” I mumble. Once reaching him, I fall into him just as his arm wrap around me. I grab hold of him and never planned on letting him go. I thought I would lose it if we were separated even just for a second.

                “Don’t worry; I’m here,” he says. He caresses the back of my head, trying to calm me down.

                “This is all my fault,” I whisper to him, my voice cracking all the way through, as I was plastered against his chest. Tears welled up in my eyes again. I was going to cry for the fourth time tonight, only this time it wouldn’t silent. I’m on the verge of breaking down in front of everyone. “I did this. This was all my fault-“

                “Don’t say that; it wasn’t.”

                “- I couldn’t spot Raina from intervening. I didn’t hold my ground. That hit was meant for me, and I just let Raina take the fall for it. I let Claude hurt her.”

                He pushes me away, keeping a frim hold of my shoulders; leans closer to me, staring into my eyes; and says, “Whatever plan that demon had for you, none of this was you’re fault, Catherine.”

                “She might die because of me,” I whimper. Then, I push myself back into his embrace, and he gains a tighter hold on me. As tears fall down my cheek and drip onto the tile, I let in and out shaky breathes. I had to let the moment pass, but I was thankful that Sebastian was finally here. He always had the right touch when calming me down.

                After a few moments, I calm myself down and my breath settles. I wipe the remaining tears that were stuck on my cheek.

                “Feeling better?”

                “No.”

                “Let me rephrase that then; has the moment passed?”

                I sigh, “Yes.”

                With that, after releasing me from the embrace, Sebastian leads me to the nearest seat available, one of which was away from anyone’s hearing range. I knew this upcoming conversation had something to do with the mission he was ordered to take on.

                “So? Anything?” I ask.

                “… Nothing.”

                “What?”

                “I was unable to find nor track Claude’s whereabouts. It seems he completely left the premises after he… did what he did.”

                I close my eyes and take in the information.

                “I’m sorry, Catherine, but I was unable to put a stop to his games.”

                I shake my head. “It doesn’t matter now. His plan succeeded; he got what he wanted already. There’s no need to stress yourself out, Sebastian.”

                “You know I’m not going to back down just because you told me so.”

                “Who said I was backing you down? I only said not to go after him because of this. As a matter of fact, there’s no way in hell I’m backing down either. Claude started all of this; he started a war. And, I intend to end it, not for my sake but for everyone I care about.”

                “This isn’t something that you’ll get out of in one piece. Surely, you’re going get hurt.”

                “I know a Demon’s game, but we have to end this. And, the truth isn’t going make me huddle into a corner. I just want to get this over with.”

                He scoffs, “That is easier said than done. But, for now.” He looks to his side. “I believe you have matters to attend to.”

                I look over to my side and find that a man in scrubs emerges from the hallway. Then, Luis, along with his mother and father, rush over to the man. That must be the surgeon that worked on Raina. That must mean that the surgery is done. When the realization hit me, I push myself from my seat and rush over to them. But, Bell manages to grab hold of me, allowing the family to get the news first before anyone else intervened.

                I stare at the group, waiting for the worst; for example, like Raina’s mother breaking down into tears after finding out that her only daughter has died. But, at the anticipation, it never happened. From my view, which was only the family’s backside, I notice Luis’s shoulders rise then fall. His mother grabs hold of his shoulders, pulls him closer to her, before she kisses his head. She kept her nose nuzzled in his hair and seemed to have been whispering into his ear.

                As soon as his mother releases her hold on him, Luis turns over and walks over to us. None of us could read his expression, but from what occurred, it didn’t seem too bad.

                “So?” asks Stephen.

                “… She’s going to be fine. Raina is going to be okay,” Luis smiles. He was more than happy to know that his little sister was going to make it.

                With that, we all sigh in relief.

                I unclench my fist and allow the feeling to return to my hands. The worst was finally over. I wasn’t going to lose a friend, actually more like a sister, tonight. I was spared from any heartbreak; I was going to be able to sleep at night, knowing that I didn’t cause her death.

                I look at Luis. “Can we… Can we go see her?”

                He nods. “Yea. She should be up by now.”

                Just then, the older woman walks to Luis’s side. “But, it’ll only be for a few moments. Raina does need her rest and we shouldn’t cause her any stress.”

                “Of course, Mrs. Quan. We’ll be as quick as we can,” states Bell.

                She smiles. “Come. We’ll take you all to her.”

                She and Luis turn and lead the way; everyone else and I were following like a herd of ducks. As a rather big crowd, we were able to manage and maneuver through the halls of the hospital. Each door that we passed, I kept hearing constant beeps coming from all of the machines that were being put to work. I feel I could lose my mind from the repetition of the sound; I don’t know how nurses could do it but I would never last a day in that field.

                We turn a final corner before entering through a large door. Passing through the entryway, we enter into a spacious room. Even with all of the medical equipment that scattered along the considerable-sized room, there was still room to roam about and big enough to host a small crowd. But, even when all the equipment caught my attention, I could spot the single bed at the center of the room, and a single body occupied the cushioned mattress.

                Well, the family spared no expense for their daughter, I thought. A room for one patient was definitely a luxury in a hospital.

                Realizing the abundance of people that entered the room, Raina looks over at us. Wrapped around her head, a white cloth kept any outside air from contaminating her stitches. She smiles, “There you guys are. I thought I would see you all in the morning.”

                “Are you kidding?” Bell exclaims. “We’ve been here all night.” She pulls me closer to Raina just as she walks over to her bed.

                “Seriously?” Raina raises a brow.

                “Yea. We had to make sure you were okay.”

                “That’s sweet of you guys, but I’m okay. Really, just a concussion, a ginormous bump, and they had to take out some glass from my scalp. But, hey, the glass didn’t get my brain.”

                “But, Raina,” I finally voice out. I take this opportunity to sit beside her on the bed. “You pushed me away. It... It seemed like the equipment was suppose to hit me.”

                “I know that, but-“

                “Then, why didn’t you just let it hit me? It would’ve been better if it was me instead of you.”

    Her face drops.

    “I just feel so guilty that I didn’t notice it sooner. I would’ve been able to avoid it and you wouldn’t have gotten hit,” I lie. Well, half of it was a lie. I did feel very guilty and I could’ve prevented her injury, but I was more than aware of Claude’s scheme.

                She takes my hand. “Don’t blame yourself, C.L.. I would’ve done it again just to save you. There was no way you could’ve notice the loose stage light that was coming towards you, and even if I said something, it still would’ve gotten to you… I just couldn’t stand the idea of my friends getting hurt and I couldn’t do a single thing to stop it.”

                My breath hitches. It’s like she was reading my mind; it’s like she was me, my twin. While I stayed put in order to take the fall for her and everyone else, she moved me out of the way in order to save me. Just as I was trying to do everything to keep my friends and family safe, Raina was doing the same for me and the others. Unlike my situation, Raina was just afraid of me getting hurt while she stood behind and did nothing. I’m just afraid that I’ll lose her and everything while I did everything I could to stop it. I suppose I’m not the only one with the same intentions. We were looking out for each other.

                I smile, squeezing Raina’s hands. “Well, thank you. I don’t know how I can repay you, Raina.”

                “Just knowing that you’re okay, that’s all for me.”

                “Well, the least I can do is give you some peace. Rest and make a speedy recovery.”

                “Thank you, C.L.. I’ll make sure I will.”

                “Then… I’ll see you… later.”

                I push myself from the bed and exit the room without another word to anyone else. I need to get away from them as quickly as I could. Raina protected me when I was suppose to be protecting her. Even when I have my friends in my eyesight, they still manage to fall into Claude’s trap. Even if I have inhuman speed and strength, there’s no way I can protect them from all the havoc.

    …Not with me around at least. It almost seems like danger is always following me. Heck, Bell was almost killed by a deranged puppet on my watch. And, even if I had Claude and Alois distracted with me, they seem to prove to have more resources to get to the people I love.

                So, the answer is clear as day. I can’t protect them from danger because I am the danger. In order to ensure their safety, I have to stay as far away from my friends as possible. I can’t stand around anymore and let them take the fall for my mistakes. I have to make a sacrifice if I want to win this war. I guess in order to avoid being alone in the end, I have to separate myself from the population; I have to go about this by myself now.