(Originally written Wednesday, November 5, 2003)
Chapter XIII:
The shouting and the gunfire echoed heavily through the narrow air vent. Cream felt certain that he could hear everything happening in the entire refinery - it was the one truly certain thought in his head.
"Hey Noug'," he said to the man crawling behind him, "how do you figure the boys in blue knew to come here?" Nougat continued dragging himself through the vent with effort.
"I don't know, Whip'. Maybe someone heard the gunfire earlier and called it in or something, but I really don't know..." He winced again. "To be fair, though, I still can't really think all that straight." Cream smirked.
"Well, at least now you have an excuse, huh?" Nougat stifled a small chuckle.
"Come on, man, I'm within an inch of my life here! Mercy!" Cream took a turn and chuckled.
"Alright, old man..."
"You sure you're okay?" Cream asked again as he heard Nougat audibly make efforts to crawl around a corner in the vents.
"Well, I guess I do have a bit of a headache, but I'll live," he said back.
Cream looked over his shoulder as best he could and saw Nougat in his current condition; he had a small stream of blood trickling down from the top of his head.
"Noug', you're bleeding!" he said.
"Whip', I ain't got time to bleed," Nougat responded, "we still gotta find 'Mel, remember?" Cream sighed, concerned.
"Just... be careful, alright?"
"Mmm hmm."
As they continued crawling unbeknownst to the current battle everywhere else, Cream had a thought.
"Hey, Noug'?" he said.
"Mmm hmm?" Nougat responded.
"You know, for the past fifteen minutes or so, you've been calling me Whip'."
"Mmm hmm."
"Just thought about it, 'sall."
"Mmm..."
* * * * *
Kar' ran back into the office where her sister was sitting, the legal papers rended and strewn all about. The gunfire was getting closer to them.
"Guess we're done here, then?" 'Mel said coolly, standing tall to her younger sister.
"For me, mostly." Kar' responded. "For you, definitely." 'Mel looked slightly puzzled. Her confusion melted away as Kar' reached behind herself and withdrew a small pistol.
"Obviously you're not going to give me the company," she continued, "and if I'm going to jail anyway..." 'Mel continued to stand tall, though tears were beginning to form under her hurt eyes.
"Karmel, what the hell is wrong with you?!" she shouted. "I don't care how bad things are between us, this is ridiculous!" Kar's hand trembled slightly.
"Don't you get it, Cara'? After this night, I'm going to have nothing! Nothing!" She put a second hand on the wavering pistol. "This has to be done..."
'Mel stared back, crying freely on top of her stern face.
"Kar'... don't do this..." Kar' blinked back her own forming tear.
"... goodbye, Caramel..."
The silence was quickly shattered by a loud noise, followed by a falling body...
