Tahoma
They met in the dining room, having just enjoyed a modest breakfast, or at least the humans did. He looked to his left side, where his mother was, and to his right, where the ever quiet Renata was. Her hold on his hand was tight and full of anxiety, but at least she felt comfortable enough to do so in front of everyone, and everyone noticed.
He felt terrible for her, especially as she did everything to avoid looking at Rocio and Diamond, who sat together across the way and had equal trouble making eye contact with anyone. They didn't hold hands, but anyone could see they were together.
Tahoma didn't know how he didn't catch this soonerâmaybe because he was busy trying to keep everyone alive, which seemed like a fair enough distraction.
"We should hide away from him for as long as possible," Nirvi suggested after clearing her throat to get everyone's attention. "Let Renata figure out what is going on with her," Renata seized up beside him, "and when she is confident, we will do what we must."
Balam's red gaze shot to Renata. "Do you believe you can fight him? Nirvi told me you already have."
Tahoma squeezed her hand in reassurance when she hesitated to answer. "I didn't exactly plan to. It just happened. I got frustrated when he refused to help me, and I just...followed my instincts. If they even were my instincts."
"What does that mean?" Nirvi inquired, leaning forward.
"I think I know," Keone spoke up from his silent position as Renata struggled to find her words. Everyone's attention zoned in on the quiet man. Tahoma still reeled from the fact that Angel's star pupil turned on him, and was understandably suspicious. But if Keone was willing to talk, spill any information on Death, it wasn't like they could afford losing any kind of advantage over the grim reaper.
He cleared his throat. "While discussing your circumstances of immortality, he confided in me..." His eyes were hesitant only for a moment before resolve settled in, "that while you were there, he felt the power coming off of youâbut it wasn't yours, it felt as though you were syphoning it from him."
Tahoma swallowed in response to the implication, and Renata went completely still. Her voice was hollow and hopeless. "I'm not doing it on purpose." So, she didn't deny it, much to Tahoma's despair. She must have felt what he explained on her end in the diner.
Keone nodded in sympathy. "That may be true, but you're doing it anyway. And if that last confrontation alerted us to anything, it was that your simultaneous existence is not sustainable, and he will not go down quietly."
"So," Nirvi nodded along, "it will come down to a fight."
Renata pulled her hand away and scrubbed at her face. "Why me?"
Tahoma put a comforting hand on the space between her shoulder blades. "This is all just theoryâ"
She shook her head, breaking his heart as he heard the desperation in her voice. "No, it's not. They're right. I can feel it in my bones that they're right." She looked down and her shoulders sagged. "I just want to know why me out of all the billions of people on this earth. Is my karma that bad?"
"We never got that far," Keone interjected. "To be frank, neither of us thought this situation would go as far as it hasâyes, we considered you as an anomaly, but nothing of this magnitude..."
"Something easily taken care of, right?" she snapped, eyes darkening. "Nothing a blind-sided attack wouldn't fix?"
"What are you talking about?" Tahoma demanded as Keone hung his head in shame.
"Renata?" Rocio asked.
"Shut up!" Renata jumped up from her seat. "I can't think. This place is too small. You're all looking at me, treating me like I'm him, but I'm not, I'm just me." She heaved out heavy breaths, on the brink of hyperventilating.
Tahoma didn't know what to say and knew nothing wouldn't comfort her. Everyone shrunk back as the room darkened just slightly, and it was because of herâno one dared point it out.
When no one responded, she exploded with a frustrated noise and ran out of the room.
Tahoma was determined to not let her be alone, but was stopped by the familiar touch of his mother's hand. He frowned as he turned to look at her. She gave a sweet, understanding smile. "Don't hover, son, it won't do her any good. You'll be there when she needs it." Her eyes flitted toward Rocio and Diamond who seemed equally conflicted on what to do. "Though, she may need a sister...or a best friend."
Tahoma couldn't help himself as he scowled at the two women, "don't fuck this up, or you'll be answering to me."
Diamond's face was bright red while Rocio was slightly more defiant and less shameful. "You so easily choose sides."
Tahoma loved Rocio dearly, and at the end of it all, they would be fine, but he knew in his heart he needed to be there for Renata during these dire hours. "Consideirng her friends are dropping like flies," he bit out, "it's only fair she has one ally."
"Tahomaâ" Nirvi began to chastise.
"No, he's right," Rocio conceded. Her remourseful eyes returned to him. "You're right."
"Then make it right," Nirvi implored.Diamond's voice was raspy from crying. "She hates us. Why would she bother to listen?"
Tahoma wished he had his mother's understanding as she explained, "uncertain times are upon us. Do what you must before it is too late. Even if she shuts you away, it will hurt less for her if you at least try."
Diamond's dark gaze brightened with a tiny glimmer of hope. Her eyes shifted toward her accomplice. "I'll go."
Rocio looked ready to object. "You sure?"
Diamond looked around the room and nodded. Her blue buzzcut was especially bright beneath the light. "Yes, I need to."
"Good luck," Keone came out of nowhere with, "she can hold a mean grudge." Everyone glared at him in response, and he threw his hands up in surrender.
Renata
She sat in a random dark corner of the bunker and cried, though it turned into uneven breath sooner than she anticipated. Maybe it was because she was so stuck in her head.
Her worst fears were confirmed. It was going to come down to her or him, and she just didn't know if she had the will to fight for her own life.
But then would she be damning the world to the hellish landscape that it was at this moment? Everyone in this bunker had the privilege to be shielded from what was going on outside. People were dying. Civilization was slowly but surely dying. And there was a possibilty that Renata could do something about it.
But her as the grim reaper didn't sit right in her stomach. It didn't feel like some prophecy she was ment to fulfil all along. No, this felt like a freak accident, and she was the unfortunate soul tasked with cleaning it up.
There didn't appear to be a choice. Renata wasn't exactly up for allowing the end of the world to happen, not if she was literally the only being who could make a difference.
So, it looked like a fight with the grim reaper was officially on the schedule.
"Ren?"
Renata was so lost in her thoughts that she was clueless to Diamond's approach. Her heart dampened with hurt. She wondered if she would ever get a break, or it was just going to be torture after torture. "What do you want?"
She hesitated. "I didn't actually think I would get this far."
Renata scoffed, not amused by her stalling methods. "If you've come to spew out more bullshit," she got up to leave, "save itâ"
"Wait, Ren, please don't go! We can't leave it like this."
"Why? Cause you can't handle it? Why should I spare you from any of this, huh, when you didn't bother to do the same?"
Renata didn't know how to feel as she watched her best friend cry. Once upon a time, she would have demanded who caused Diamond to be so distressed and immediately threatened the cause with imminent death, but now, she just watched and swallowed back her hurt. "I swear, it was never while we were figuring things out," she began even as Renata shook her head and turned away. "I was so confused, and then I didn't understand what I was feeling with Rocio. I tried stuffing it down and ignoring itâshe did the same. I knew it was wrong. We kept talking ourselves out of it again and again."
"So, what? You just couldn't stop?"
"I am not denying we acted like immature teenagers. We did. And you need to know that it had nothing to do with you."
Renata scoffed. "Of course it didn't. That's why we are where we are."
"You're absolutely right."
"I just think it's hilarious," Renata laughed, but the sound was grating, "we had been fighting for this," she gestured between them, "for so long, when the answer was there all along...you were fucking the wrong sister. It's a good thing you tested it out, and now you know."
"Nothing I will say will make things better."
"Then why are you here!" Renata screamed.
Her face melted with tears. "Because no matter what you think right now, you are my best friend and I can't lose you."
"You know," she began as she finally turned back to look at her, "if you would have just waited, things would have been different. It still would have been weird, but it would have been easier for me to get past. But to go from saying you want to be with me to fucking my sister the next day just tells me I didn't mean shit to you."
"You're right, I was selfish and it rightfully hurt you. I will always regret hurting youâ"
"But not being with her."
She looked to the floor, and when her brown eyes returned, they were filled with nothing but truth. "No."
"Well, that's good. I'm glad you found your happy ending with my fucking sister." She began backing away.
Diamond put a hand out but pulled it to her side right after. "You don't have to forgive me. Or her. We don't deserve it. But no matter what, you should know that we are sorry and we will be here for you whenever you need it."
Renata paused and tried to see past all the heavy feelings swirling around in her body. She tried to remember who this woman used to be to her. A safe space. A place to laugh and be ugly. Her favorite arms to be wrapped in. This used to be her favorite person in the whole world.
"I'm so fucking angry," Renata croaked out as her eyes burned, "I just can't do this right nowâI need time."
Diamond swallowed and looked ready to cry again. "Okay...okay."
Renata sighed. "Tell Rocio not to bother, if I do one more drama fest, I'm going to explode."
She wiped at the tears welling at her eyes. "I will."
Renata opened her mouth to say more, but the words evaded her. She gave another heavy sigh and walked away, leaving Diamond alone in that dense space.