...Th-this is still better.
“Well, I’m not letting you walk,” Madoka decided, rising back to his feet and offering his back to Mercy once more. This time, the hunter obliged--carrying her on his back was somewhat easier than suspending her whole weight in his arms.
Although having to hold onto her legs was awkward, piggybacking Mercy was at least faster than scooting forwards with her. The group managed to reach the door in a matter of minutes. Levi took the door’s handle, then hesitated, releasing it. He bit his lip, hands shaking.
“...L-Levi?” Madoka whispered. “...Are you scared?”
“Terrified,” Levi admitted. “If...if the Tragedy is real, what if...what if the world is ruined? What if it isn’t what we want it to be?”
“I don’t want it to be anything other than away from here.” Gritting his teeth, Madoka let Mercy down and moved to grab the handle of the door himself. “I won’t make you do it, but I...I am going home.”
Sucking in a deep breath, Madoka turned the handle and shoved the door open, emerging into the world beyond.
Sky.
The sky is red.
Fresh air poured into his lungs. Madoka gasped, stumbling back a step. The world--big, beautiful, open--stared him in the face, rolling with hillsides and damaged buildings. Despite smoke rising to the sky off in the distance, it was the most beautiful landscape Madoka had ever seen.
He choked back tears. Th-the sky! I see the sky!
“Hey! You kids!”
A woman wearing a suit and shades ran towards the group, waving. Madoka tore his eyes from the horizon and noticed for the first time a group of helicopters parked not far away.
The woman slid to a stop, holding out a hand to Madoka. “You finally made it…! Is this all of you?”
Overcome by relief, Madoka could only let out a sob, flinging himself into the woman’s arms. She caught him, patting his back.
“There are two more in the trial room,” Levi explained. “They need to be carried out. I can show you where it is.”
“Holy...you kids need a hospital and fast. Okay, little guy, lead the way. I’ll send a squad to help you get the others. Kid, can you stand?”
Nodding, Madoka stepped away from the woman, burying his face in his hands. The woman yelled something over her shoulder, alerting a small group of similarly-dressed men who hurried to join her. One moved to offer assistance to Mercy while the other three followed Levi to the trial room to get Faqir and Graham. In his absence, Madoka moved to tend to Faussin.
“And...it’s only the six of you? Stay calm, you’re all safe now...my name is Ayame Takahashi. We’re with the Future Foundation. I’ll explain everything on the ride home, but right now we need to hurry and get you kids to a doctor! Come with me, don’t worry...we’re working to clean up Ultimate Despair. We want to help you.”
Madoka’s shoulder bag suddenly felt empty. No...it’s not just the six of us…
“P...portraits,” he choked out. “W-we can’t leave without the portraits…!”
Ayame frowned, glancing around at the others before looking Madoka up and down. She seemed to notice the bandages sealed over his missing eye. “...Everyone, get these kids to safety. Wait--” she reached out, catching Madoka’s shoulder, “--not you. Tell me what you mean by these portraits and let’s grab them so we can get out of here.”
Madoka nodded, beginning to explain. Before he knew it, he was moving through the hallways with Ayame, explaining everything about the killing game they had endured from the first announcement to the final revelations as they tracked down the portraits Vivara had drawn and worked to cart them out to the helicopters.
The sky is red, like blood…
But it exists. And I...I want it.