Chapter 32: Fade to Black
Nial hurried to step between them before Dorian got moving, standing at the intersection of the aisles through the furniture between them to stop Dorian going for her.
"She's just trying to—"
But Scar raised her voice over him. "She's not trying to do anything. She's on board with keeping Nial safe, but she just wants Dorian to admit what he's doing—which is hiding. And admit that his plan to get into the Spectrum with Nial was a shitty one. and he only went for it because he—"
"My life is not driven by you, for you, or even with you in mind," Dorian snarled at her over Nial's shoulder.
"Dude—" Nial muttered, but Scar beat him to it.
"That's the thing I had to learn, Dorian. It never was. At least you aren't lying about it now."
"Scar—" Nial started.
"I never lie unless it saves a life."
"Which is a lie—how ironic."
Dorian's face twisted into a snarl. "Look, bitchbasket, just because you went and got yourself shot doesn't mean I will pretend you are anything but—"
"WOULD YOU BOTH JUST FUCKING STOP?!"
Nial shoved Dorian back against the counter and cabinets, and whirled to glare at Scar who was sitting up like she was ready to come at him too.
"I thought we were on the same team? I thought we were all trying to… to fix something?"
Scar's lips pinched, but she dropped her eyes to the floor and nodded. "We are."
"I will never be on her team."
"Then be on mine!" Nial snapped, whirling to face him again. "You keep saying I make bad decisions so we have to step carefully, then you're running ahead without telling me anything just because she makes you mad? She got me safely to the Con, and didn't keep me away from you there. She wasn't lying about not leading Duff to you. She's been fucking shot, and she's still keeping up with us, I mean—fuck!"
Dorian locked eyes with him and leaned in close so they were almost nose-to-nose. "I told you before: She's a witch, and she can't be trusted. She can be useful, but do not listen to her. She will twist you up until you don't know your own mind, then laugh when she drags you by the collar she made—"
"That is such bullshit, Dorian—"
"—I came to save you, and that's what I'll do. But I am not taking any risks to save her."
"Of course you aren't. You never did," Scar muttered.
Dorian took an explosive step towards her, but Nial caught his arm and jerked him back.
"What the hell is going on? If she's so bad, why do you even keep her here?"
Dorian drew up short, like he was surprised.
Then he smiled.
Then he put his hand on Nial's shoulder. "Do you know… that's a very, very good question."
He turned towards Scar who was watching both of them, her face pale and sheened in sweat. Nial's stomach clenched when he looked at her, afraid that she might actually be in real danger from her wound.
"That is, in fact, an excellent question," Dorian repeated, striding towards her.
"Dorian, you know why I'm here," she said hurriedly.
"Yes, but are you actually needed?" Dorian drawled. "Maybe that has been the problem all along? Maybe you didn't just fuck me over, maybe you're fucking him too."
"Dorian—"
But Dorian raised his voice to cut her off as he strode towards her, his hands clenched to fists. "Maybe you're even more of a fucking spider than I realized. Maybe you aren't just a self-serving bitch. Maybe you're also a Judas and I was the stupid cunt who let you drag me straight to hell!"
"That's ridiculous—you left me!"
"Because you'd already proven that you didn't have my back!"
"Bullshit—"
"But it doesn't matter, because I'm not here for us. I'm here for him, and it's just occurred to me that maybe you're the one who's been lying this whole time." Dorian swiped a hand at a tall candle on one of the low tables, sending it flying into the wall. Scar's eyes went wide. "Maybe you're the barrier!" He shoved a chair in his path to her aside so hard it fell over onto its side, and Scar leaped to her feet, raising both hands, even on her sore side, as if to slow him down as he bore down on her. "Maybe you're the reason none of this is working and the second I get rid of you we'll finally start to see progress!" He drew to a halt, right at her toes, looming over her, bellowing into her face, his hands up like he was just a hairsbreadth from physically attacking her.
Scar licked her lips and kept her hands up, palms towards him, her eyes darting between Dorian and Nial. "That's not true. You know that's not true. I would never hurt him. Never—"
"Dorian, she protected me when she took me to the Con—"
"She knew I didn't think you should go to the Con, that's why she took you!" Dorian roared. Then he turned on Scar again and she shrank away.
"No, Dorian, you can't—"
"I absolutely can. And you know it will change the Nexus. You know it will change everything."
"What?" Nial asked quickly. "What will change everything?"
"Nothing," Dorian spat at the same time Scar paled and stumbled back from him a step, sitting down hard on the couch like her legs had gone weak.
"Dorian, please—"
Nial was alarmed. Scar's face was so pale her skin looked gray. She gripped the couch like it was an anchor in a storm, her body swaying like she might faint.
"I am not falling for your manipulative bullshit again."
"I'm not bullshitting you!"
"Everything you do is—"
But Dorian didn't get to finish the thought because just at that moment, Scar began to fade. Right there, in front of Nial's startled eyes, her entire body grew… faint. She became partly transparent, the couch and wall behind her becoming visible through her.
Nial cursed and ran towards her, but as she solidified again, she gripped the couch and stared up at Dorian, her eyes wide and pleading.
"Dorian… Please! You can't!" Her voice was quiet and broken in a way that made Nial's heart pang.
But Dorian just smiled. "I'm beginning to believe that I very much can."
And then, as Scar's eyes went wide with fear, she began to fade until she was little more than a haze over the couch.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone