Ren had asked him to fight, but Axton had offered himself up—and Ren had taken the shot. The projectile, a low-calibre round Axton kept for deterrence, was meant to sting, not kill, but the message was a fatal blow to their relationship.
Ren walked past the stunned trio outside the Arcturus vehicle, his face a mask of resolute fury. His eyes were gold, but quickly settling back to their human green, as if the shot had been the final, definitive act to sever his remaining humanity from his purpose.
"You might want to bandage his sorry ass," Ren said to Corvin as he passed, his voice flat and empty, before stepping out onto the tarmac.
"Shit! I was right, he shot him!" Corvin cursed and plunged into the chamber, rushing to Axton's side.
Kael, reeling from the sudden, chilling violence, turned and sprinted after Ren. "Renault! Where are you going? The General might just have set another trap! You can't—"
