Hearing it, Teddy turned to her and pulled her into his arms, putting a hand to the back of her head and tucking her face to his chest.

Saturn kicked the man’s weapon away (indeed, he kicked his entire forearm away) and straightened, still staring down at him.

“He is not dead,” he stated.

Faunus did not move from his position of barring the path to Moira and Teddy.

But he did ask, “What?”

“He is legless and has lost an arm, but he is not dead, and yet he does not moan,” Saturn pointed out.

Teddy let Moira go, jumped the bed, and hastened to Saturn on Faunus’s growled, “Tedrey.”

His whole name.

Tedrey.

Gods, save him from overprotective warriors.

He ignored his warrior’s warning, squatted beside the Airenzian and studied him, feeling cold enter his chest as he did.

“Moira, stellina,” Faunus murmured as Teddy heard Moira jump on and over the bed.

He loved it when Faunus called her stellina.

His little star.

He let that love settle, as it always did, but he could not think much on it.

“This man is gone,” he stated, staring into eyes that were open, alive, but there was nothing there.

No pain. No emotion.

Vacant.

There were noises from the room beside them as it occurred to him.

“The venom,” he whispered.

“We must leave this place,” Faunus declared.

Teddy straightened and pulled Moira away, turning her into him again as he instructed Saturn, “Put him out of his misery.”

Saturn did not delay.

Moira pressed close as her warrior moved to perform what was now an act of mercy.

Teddy looked to Faunus.

“The legends of the Beast said he could freeze humans,” he said. “That was always the worst part. That you could be there, alive, paralyzed, helpless to help yourself, and you would just waste away.”

There were more screams, more commotion outside the window, and thus Faunus grew visibly more impatient.

“I know the lore, amore,” he growled.

“What if it’s the same, of a sort, but actually worse?” Teddy whispered and indicated the men on the floor with a dip of his head.

After hearing Teddy’s words, Faunus moved to the man he’d gutted.

He was still alive, lying on his stomach, staring blankly at the floor.

Faunus studied him a moment before he crouched, pulled the man’s head back and drew his blade across his neck.

Blood poured forth, and Faunus straightened and stepped away from it.

“We must leave here, amico,” Saturn warned.

“We go to the Mouth,” Teddy said quietly.

Faunus’s gaze jumped to him. “No.”

“It will be the safest place,” Teddy said.

“The rulers will know this happens and they will drive them there,” Faunus retorted.

“And they will be there to stop them. It’s the safest place, Faunus.” He indicated the window with a jerk of his head. “Listen to it out there.”