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mrsnazariowrites · 1 year

Text

Horizon

The Edge of the World: Chapter 20

Perfect Match AU - Damien x MC

Rating: M, Word Count: ~ 1706

Supporting lyrics are from the song Supernova by Within Temptation

Summary: With every end, there are new beginnings

Warning: Character death

For more content/to catch up, see my Masterlist! And if you’d like to be tagged in anything, let me know

As long as I dream, it ain't over, over

I'll break the chains of gravity…

"Dexter! Oh my god!" Maya dropped to her knees beside him.

"Maya-" Dexter started, but was cut off.

"No, save your energy," She said. "You'll be fine. This happened to Hayden and we fixed him."

She eyed the fizzling power core, her hands frozen in place where they still hovered over it. She had been about to put pressure on it, only to remember that it wasn't necessary in this case. There was no bleeding to stop.

"What do I do? There's no- I don't know what to do!" Her mind seemed to have screeched to a halt . Why was she panicking? This wasn't the first time she'd seen a Match get tased.

'Shutdown Imminent.' That was why.

The blue holographic letters pulsated eerily, a dreadful reminder that this wasn’t going to be as simple as a system repair…no matter how much a small part of her insisted otherwise. They'd made it this far hadn't they? Surely there was something they could–

Suddenly, the crack of gunshots echoed in the distance. Everyone jumped at the sound

Another panicked shout and Damien rushed toward the other side of the cargo container, listening intently. He could make out heavy footsteps going in different directions, followed by the sounds of fighting growing louder by the second. Over the din, he could faintly make out Cecile yelling furiously.

He grimaced. Things were taking a turn, fast, and it was hard to tell whether it was in their favor.

Damien returned to Dexter and gingerly reached for some of the frayed wires, flinching with every burst of static. As he eyed the holographic display on Dexter's core, he felt a familiar sinking feeling that he didn't want to relive.

And judging from Dexter's resigned expression, they were both thinking the same thing.

Then he felt Maya nudge his shoulder, trying to get his attention. "Damien. We need Sloane."

"Maya-"

"She can fix him! She fixed Hayden in Berlin when we were literally under attack! She might be able to-"

"Yeah, but there were only a handful of guards, Maya. We escaped because of all the chaos. And even then only because Hayden happened to know how to fly a helicopter."

He spoke gently, but the urgency in his voice was evident. "There's a whole battalion here."

"But…"

"He’s right," Dexter said softly. "This is Eros territory. Getting out of here is the highest priority right now."

Deep down, Maya knew they were right.

"I . . ." She bit her lip, feeling at a loss. If this had happened yesterday, given the way he and Harley had treated her, she would've had no trouble with this decision. But Dexter was no longer that person. He'd risked everything to save her and had paid a heavy price for it. He deserved so much more,and knowing that she would never be able to make it up to him?

That hurt far worse than seeing the state he was in.

I'm waiting for your last goodbye

'Cause I'm not over it, not over it

I'm waiting for your last goodbye

The kiss of time…

"This isn't right. We can't just leave you like this!" Tears welled in her eyes and she hastily swiped at them. "Not after everything you did."

"I don't regret any of it," Dexter said firmly. "I-" His breath caught and he winced, noticing for the first time the uncomfortable position he was in. He shifted in place with support from Damien until he was sitting up against the wall of the cargo container.

Once he was settled, Dexter opened his mouth to finish what he'd said, but stilled as his gaze shifted to the area behind them. Damien and Maya turned to where he was looking to find Hayden and Dames standing there, taking in the scene before them in a stunned silence.

Dames was the first to approach, Hayden lagging slightly behind as he looked over the damage Dexter had taken. His face was grey, mouth set in a thin line as he tried to control his rising anger.

Ever since witnessing Maya get dragged into that van at the Louvre, Hayden had wanted to put his enhanced strength to the test–especially on Dexter and Harley -- for the way they'd hurt her. He'd known there was a possibility that what they'd done was worse than the brief footage Cecile had shown them.

But now …, Hayden couldn't bring himself to act on his anger. Not with everything he'd learned. Even if the Matches had carried out these awful acts, they were being manipulated byt Rowan and Cecile who programmed them to obey the commands that made them act so despicable.

This was the price they paid. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair.

Hayden was silent for several moments before he knelt down beside Dexter, finally speaking for the first time,"How bad is it?"

Dexter spared him a resigned glance. "My power core is fried. When I shut down, there's nothing salvageable - not even the data they'd get of all of you."

When. Hayden sighed and closed his eyes.

Maya took Dexter's hand in hers. "Dexter, there has to be something we can do. We can't let them win after everything-!"

He shook his head. "A win for them would be to have you under their thumb so they can manipulate you to their own ends." He smiled wryly. "But they can’t if you escape. And certainly not if I'm in the picture-"

Damien's eyes widened. "Dexter, that's not-"

"Yes it is," he insisted. "Look, from the beginning, I was only ever meant to be a spy. You already know what Eros was planning to do with you two"

He curled his hand into a fist. "Using me and my footage to do it."

Damien flinched at the memory and nodded, his hand instinctively finding Maya's.

"If there's the slightest chance that they catch you while I'm still alive, they'll use that data. Then I'd be disposed of or recycled." For the first time today, Maya saw a flicker of fear in his eyes. "I don't want to go out like that."

Damien felt his eyes mist over and he looked away briefly, focusing more on taking deep breaths and less on the memories this was bringing back. He'd heard words like that all too many times.ears ago, while on the force. No one deserved this nor to be left behind after . . . But they had no choice now.

"I'm so sorry," Maya whispered shakily. "I should've helped you sooner, I-"

"’Sorry?’" Dexter reached out and gently placed a hand on her cheek, brushing away her tears with his thumb. "Maya, you don't know how grateful I am to you. Before you, my life had no purpose but to follow orders. You showed me that I could make a difference. I woke up."

"Yes, you fought them. You proved you were better than them." Her chest ached as she struggled to compose herself. "But I never wanted you to get hurt, Dexter!"

"Someone was going to get hurt, no matter what I did," Dexter said. "I just made sure that wasn’t you. Didn't you once tell me that life is about the choices you make?"

Maya pressed a hand to her mouth, stifling a sob.

"I know what you meant now. My memories might not be real, but I've proven that I'm alive. And I decide my own destiny." Dexter glanced at the timer on his power core - less than ten minutes left. "I didn't have a choice in how I came into the world. But now, I can choose how I leave." He squeezed her hand, blinking away the heaviness in his eyes. "Please, Maya. This is what I want."

Like thunder screaming out for a flash of lightning

Stars are falling down for God's applause

I'm waiting for the light of your supernova

Your last goodbye…

Maya watched him earnestly, silently pleading for him to reconsider. But his expression showed no trace of doubt, no fear or pain. In fact, unlike every other time she'd encountered him, he looked at peace. That told her all she needed to know.

She sighed and nodded. "Okay," she said. "If you're sure about this, then I'll respect that."

"Thank you." He glanced at Damien. "Take care of her."

"We always do." Damien placed a hand on his shoulder, a fierce look in his eyes. "I swear I'll do everything in my power to make them pay for this."

"Good," Dexter chuckled. "I'm counting on it." He turned back to Maya, gazing into her eyes for a second longer before tugging at her wrist, pulling her into his arms. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "For everything I've done."

Maya felt a dampness on her shirt; whether it was his tears or hers, she couldn’t tell. She just hugged him more tightly, minding his damaged wires carefully. "It's okay," she whispered. "Just stay safe, all right?"

He nodded quickly, holding her close for another moment before letting go. "Now go."

Maya helped set him back gently before she stood. She j took a couple steps back, hesitance clear in her stance until Damien took her hand, his gentle tug bringing her back to reality.

Dexter gave her a small smile of encouragement, a silent reassurance to her that this was the right decision and that he would be better for it. She returned the smile, nodding in acknowledgement before she and Damien turned in the other direction and started to run.

He watched them go, feeling a sense of peace finally wash over him for the first time. Hayden and Dames were close behind, but seemed to have stopped to discuss something - not that it mattered much now. Everything happening now was in their favor.

A brief glance at his timer showed about three minutes left.

Perfect timing.

With his systems gradually shutting down, any pain he'd been in was completely numbed now. Maya's face flashed before him, as did more memories of her. A mix of memories that weren't his and some that were.

For the first time, he welcomed them.

He remembered happiness in Maya's eyes as she declared her feelings, the warmth of her arms, her infectious laughter. Once a cruel paradox of his mistakes, they were now his solace.

Though her love wasn't for him specifically, it was love nonetheless. Where it hadonce clashed with his personality - both coded and real - now it all fit with the decisions he'd made for himself and for her.

He felt truly whole. And nothing would take that from him.

Dexter leaned back comfortably, turning his gaze to the edge of the docks, to the ocean. He first noticed the ship that was to ferry Maya and her friends to safety floating at a distance. Beyond that was the sky. He couldn't help but marvel at the color. Where it was once pitch black against the grey clouds blanketing them, a pinkish golden hue had made its way through until it had overtaken the horizon, signaling the dawn of a new day.

And it was beautiful. Perfect.

It was everything.

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#perfect match #damien x mc #damien nazario #hayden young #pm dames #perfect match au #the edge of the world #mrsnazariowrites fics #tw character death

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