Star Fall

The car sped along, the sound of the engine roaring was the only thing distracting my mind from what was about to happen.
Mercil at the wheel noticed my labored breathing. — Why do you care so much about him anyway?
— What do you mean 'why do I care'? Did you forget that we're going to kill fucking Niik? — I replied, my eyebrows furrowed, eyes wide open in full alert.
Mercil turned his eyes back to the road. — It doesn't matter. Did you forget what Alvo said? This is survival, you'll understand once you kill him.
— Fuck, Mercil! Just think for a second! He's our best friend, don’t you remember? — I raised my hands, trying to make Mercil remember.
He slammed his foot down on the accelerator, the engine growling louder and louder, reminding me of the motors they had in the shelters. That’s where we met Niik.
— Anyway, what's all this for?
I asked innocently while looking at those huge metal boxes making a loud noise. Those things kept me up at night. It was one of the many issues with sleeping in homeless shelters.
— No idea, but whatever it is, it’s annoying. — Mercil back then seemed more human, even though he’s always been a ghost of who he really is.
Suddenly, a blond boy emerged from the shadows. — That there is water filtration. The assholes from the elite give us sewage water to drink, so the best solution they came up with were these machines.
That boy was so... cool. Arms crossed while leaning against the wall, still flashing that cocky half-smile.
— Who are you? — I asked.
— My name's Niik. — He pointed his finger at himself. — Since all three of us are awake in the middle of the night, how about a little street adventure, huh? Heeeeeeeiiiiinnnnn???
— Why would we go out with some random stranger? — Mercil actually had a point.
— Hey! Do I look like trouble to you?
— Actually, yeah, you do. — Mercil put his hand on my chest, pulling me back.
— Ouch, that hurt! — Niik pretended to be offended but then adjusted his half-open leather jacket and pulled a key out of his pocket. — Do you know what this key is?
The key had an absurd shape. It looked like it was made of polished metal, dark red, with a crescent moon at the tip. The artifact seemed like a portal to an unknown world.
— Instead of staying in this dark alley of the shelter, how about checking out something really cooooollll??? — His tongue sticking out made Niik look even sillier. But that was always his way, being the joker.
Mercil and I exchanged a quick glance, and then he answered for me. — Definitely not—
After walking through the dark streets for a long time, with electric poles lighting up puddles left by the storm, we finally arrived at the place Niik wanted to take us: The Great Sewer of Focus. The entrance to this filthy place was simply enormous. It was the wall between the Outskirts and Focus, where several giant pipes brought the trash of the rich here, but only the middle one was sealed by a massive iron plate. Mercil and I never understood why.
— Do you know about Blood Moon? — Niik asked us.
Mercil became interested as soon as he heard the name of the faction. — Are you from Blood Moon?
— Hmm. Got your interest now, huh? How about you check out some cool stuff around here?
Niik extended the key toward the massive iron plate, and through magnetism, a keyhole appeared. The sound of the key turning reminded me of the trigger of Mercil cocking his pistol at this very moment.
— I can't believe you're actually going through with this. Mercil! Can you hear me?! — I slammed the car door hard, heading toward Mercil, who was sitting on the hood. — Look here, you—
The barrel of the gun pressed against my forehead. Finger on the trigger. I swallowed hard. Mercil was pointing the gun at my head. I froze, my fingers trembling, and time seemed to slow down because every second counted.
— Listen here, you little shit. — He said. — I won’t hesitate to kill you if you get in my way.
Those words, those damn words felt like thousands of needles piercing my heart. — What the fuck is this?! Mercil… — My breath caught, betrayal weighing heavily on my lungs. — I’m your brother…
— Tch! And who said that changes anything? Look at yourself, Danme. You’re so weak, pathetic, a scared little insect. Is that your ideal definition? — He placed the deadly tip of the gun under my throat, sliding his finger through my hair. — I kept you close because you have my face and my blood. But you don’t have any of my soul. If today I realize you’re useless, there’s no reason to keep you around.
Shock. Fingers trembling frantically. Fear. What I feel is terror. I feel betrayed. I feel destroyed.
— As your brother, here’s a lesson: Don’t feel sorry for those who do evil, Danme. One day it’ll kill you.
He lowered the gun. Got off the hood. Flipped his hair. And walked toward the enormous building of Focus, the "Sun." A floating building, made of gold, star-shaped, illuminating the entire elite state of Star. His body began to be teleported by the light emanating from above.
— So, are you gonna be late for your assassination? — He completely disappeared after saying those words, just like my faith and hope.
But the wind swayed my pendant. I touched the cold cross. "You’re the only one who hasn’t become a monster," Niik’s phrase echoed in my memories. I just stared at the cross, seeing myself alone, but something seemed to move me.
— I’m going to save my friend.
One step. Each heavy footfall. I need to hurry, I need to get there before the worst happens. When I realized it, I was running, trying to save the one who always saved me. The powerful light of the Sun illuminated me, pulling me inside the building. And what did my eyes see first?: A massacre. Guards and scientists, all on the ground. A sea of blood, red lights, the shrill sound of the alarm. Am I trapped in a cycle of hatred and destruction? Am I reduced to this? Am I more than this? How far am I still me?
Suddenly, I heard punches coming from somewhere and immediately ran toward the source, arriving at a control room. A map of the entire Star, a panel with thousands of buttons, but most importantly: Niik grabbing Mercil by the neck against the panel.
— You know, Mercil, I never really liked you. I always felt like you were a son of a bitch inside.
— Niik?...
As soon as I called out to him, he looked into my eyes. He looked at me as if guilt stained his expression, and he quickly let his guard down.
— Danme...
"BANG!!!"
Blood dripping on the floor. Niik collapsing to the ground. Mercil with the gun in his hand. The guilt on my shoulders for losing another brother.
Mercil flipped him off. — Go to hell, you son of a bitch.
— Ah... Da-Danme... — Niik placed his hand on his bloody chest. — Danme... — As he spoke, he choked on his own blood. — Find the Gravedigger's, brother... I believe in you...
— Pfft! What the fuck is the Gravedigger's? Shut up and die already. — Mercil shot again, this time hitting Niik in the head.
My best friend... My brother... is dead.
— Now, it’s just finishing the rest of the mission.
— Why... Just tell me... — The pain in my throat made my voice weak. — Why did you kill him?...
Mercil scratched his forehead with the gun. — What do you mean 'why'? He betrayed the faction, and I did my job. Actually, I never liked that asshole. — He crouched down, picked up Niik’s dead hand, and started playing with it. — You think Niik is a saint? You think I killed all those people you saw on the floor in seconds?
Every. Word. Pierced. Through. My. Back.
— You’re so naive, Danme. But relax, I’ll explain it to you. — He stood up. — Alvo has been planning for a long time to overthrow the system. And how do you do that? By sending a message to the whole system: Destroying Star. — He placed the barrel of the gun on a red button on the panel. — As soon as I press this button, Danme, Star will head toward Earth at high speed, and when it collides, it’ll be a massive disaster. This is just the beginning of something much bigger—
Without hesitation, I punched Mercil in the mouth. I just wanted him to shut the fuck up. SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!
He spat blood from his mouth. — Alright, you want it the hard way, huh? You’re really useless.