Antidote Trilogy: The Complete Box Set

by Taylor Hondos

  He seemed to freeze at that but relaxed quickly. He turned to face her. Red eyes blazing, cocky smile on.

  “Baby, of course not. She loosened her grip on you, allowing you to get the gun. It was all a part of the plan. Now. Give me the gun.” He said as sweetly as he could. I rolled my eyes as she handed him the gun. Damn idiot.

  As they exchanged the gun, Lena finally popped up from the ground, ready to pounce on either one of them. Gabe kept his cool, and he wasn’t afraid. He stayed in his slouched over state, not even erect from the dilemma. Gabe held out his hand, and Lena froze in mid stance.

  “Now that this is over, you will shoot Jared.” He said calmly to Lena.

  He held the butt of the gun towards Lena, and she faced him as if she were a solider on command. Lena took the gun and turned to face me.

  She lifted the gun fast. Her hand on the trigger. Her eyes red and fierce. She was gone. I could feel it. I shrank into my body. I guess it wouldn’t be so bad to die by the hands of someone I loved.

  Gabe had a frustrated look on his face and his brow was scrunched up in concentration. I watched Holland’s hands twitching by his side in anticipation.

  “Any last words?” Lena spoke in her magical voice. Her eyes bored into mine, completely lost. My love, my love was gone.

  “I do. I love you. I love all of you in different ways. But one thing I don’t love is the betrayal demonstrated by the two hyenas in the corner. You fucking deserve one another.” I shouted towards them. Now Gabe was twitching with Holland now. Holland twitched with anticipation; he twitched with anger. They looked like two drug addicts, to be honest. I wanted to tell them, but I couldn’t because Lena took one step closer to me. The gun was right against my forehead now.

  I looked her deep in the eyes. “I love you, Lena.” I said quickly. I wanted it to be my last words.

  It all happened in slow motion. With one swift moment, Lena moved the gun from my head, and shot the lock on the chains on the ceiling, releasing me from the chains that held me up. I fell to the ground, scrapping my knees on the concrete.

  One moment, the gun was facing my chains, and in the next second it was facing Holland. The shot was loud and left a ringing in my ears.

  Holland went down, and then Lena’s gun was facing Gabe. The third shot rang in my ears. Gabe fell sloppily to the ground.

  “Let’s give the gun to the girl you can barely control, geniuses.” Lena shouted to them. “Let’s go!” she screamed to me. She grabbed me from the ground and we took off, leaving the two of my greatest friends, yet greatest enemies on the ground.

  Chapter Twelve: Escape

  Lena

  THE ADRENELINE IN my veins surged through my body, and forced me to move faster than I ever had before, even as a robot. I tugged at Jared’s hand to get him to run my speed, forgetting that I had powers that he did not. This was it; we would finally be gone. We could make it if we kept going. I knew someone would try to stop us but I had a new power on my side. I had control of my own body, and I had my father to thank for that.

  I knew I had taken control of myself on several occasions, but this time was different. My father had given me back my humanity. I felt like myself, but more powerful than ever.

  “Jared. Try to keep up.” I screamed to him.

  “Let go of my hand. I think I can move faster without the pull.” He said. He wasn’t being rude or sarcastic, he was just stating the facts.

  “Oh shit. Sorry.” I said, letting go of his hand. He clenched and unclenched his hand to regain feeling in his hand. “I am sorry. I didn’t think of that. I thought I was helping.” I said as we kept running down the long, winding hallway. All the walls were the same, and it would be easy to lose our way if we didn’t keep our minds open to pay attention to the details.

  “Where is Joseph? Where is anyone?” I thought out loud. Jared didn’t make a sound, so I looked over to him. Jared just shook his head.

  “Didn’t they hear the shots?” He asked. I ignored the question for the time being. I took the moment to use my powers.

  I peered through each door as we ran. Empty. Every room. Where were the students? Theo? Joseph? Max? Aiden? This wasn’t good. I didn’t point this out to Jared. I didn’t need to worry his mind any further. He looked terrible. He had been beaten down so many times tonight.

  His nose was slightly crooked. His eyes were droopy. His face so swollen so much that he looked like a different man altogether. Dried up blood was caked all over his face. Jared was a handsome man, but I didn’t know how handsome he would be after this night. It wouldn’t matter if we couldn’t get out of here anyways.

  That was when I saw his hand. Thank god I hadn’t been pulling that one. It looked damaged beyond repair. The hand appeared to have a hole in it, as if something had went clean through it. I wanted to stop right then and there, and turn around to destroy whoever did this to him, but it would just slow us down. I ignored it for now, but he knew I saw it. He watched me with knowing eyes.

  “I have no idea.” I finally said to his question. We kept on our way and Jared spoke again.

  “Where can we go?” he said through gasps. He was getting tired. This wasn’t going well. Where I felt energized and alive, Jared felt weak and apprehensive.

  “We will figure it out. Stay calm.” I knew he felt anything but calm though.

  That was when he stood in front of me. Blocking us from escaping. I stopped suddenly, causing Jared to slam into my back. I gripped him to keep him steady. “Get out of the way.” I screamed to the monster in front of me.

  “How did you do it?” Dr. Ravana spoke silently. He looked like a frail old man.

  “Do what?” I shouted impatiently. He simply stared at me, not answering. “I don’t have time for this. Move, or I will kill you. I don’t fear you any longer. Try and control me. You can’t!” I screamed.

  He smiled. A deep, serene smile. It wasn’t malicious for once. I was stunned. Floored. He didn’t have a genuine bone in his body. He looked deep in thought and he finally spoke. “Lena, look at you.” He said affectionately.

  I had enough then. He was done confusing me. He was done ruining my life, as he did to so many others. To the man beside me, to the people out there waiting to be saved.

  I took my hands and made a swooshing motion to the side. Dr. Ravana went flying through the air, slamming against the wall. The crack was loud, and I wondered what part of his body he hit. He moaned in pain, but he deserved it. Blood began to spill from his head. Jared tugged me forward, but something held me back.

  “Dr. Ravana?” I spoke silently. My humanity was my biggest flaw. I knew it. Jared knew it. And Dr. Ravana did too. “Dr. Ravana? Are you okay?” Jared sighed beside me in frustration.

  “Lena. Come on.” Jared urged me.

  I was frozen. I couldn’t leave him. I knew he was terrible. I knew he was the reason for everything but blood was pooling beside him from something I had done.

  “Lena, what made you fight through the control?” Dr. Ravana asked through grunts of pain.

  “Easy.” I said almost as silently as he spoke. I reached down, but stopped myself before I touched him. “It was love.” I said simply. He closed his eyes as if he were experiencing bliss. No one was around for miles, and I looked to Jared to see his confused face.

  “I’m sorry I had to hurt you.” I said simply. And he kept his eyes closed and I felt my body becoming weak with guilt. I couldn’t feel it though. I couldn’t feel remorse for him. He had never felt remorse for what he had done. He destroyed so many lives.

  Jared tugged me once more, and I let him pull me away. We left Dr. Ravana to lie in his pool of blood on the floor.

  “Love.” He whispered into the dark. He was sighing as we ran down the hall. I had never been so confused in my life. Love saved me. Love could save a world even. Why was that so surprising to him?

  PART TWO

  Jared

  Chapter Thirteen: Until the End

  MY FATHER ALWAYS was
a nutcase but now, now he was just plain weird. He didn’t know what love was. He killed my mother. He killed my best friend. He tried to kill everyone I had ever loved. He destroyed everything that humanity held dear.

  So you can understand my surprise when I felt a moment of heart for him. I felt a moment of pure forgiveness. My explanation? He tried to mind control me. And that’s the only reason I found forgiveness in my heart for him in that moment.

  That was it. That was why Lena felt that connection to ask him if he were okay. Otherwise, neither one of us would have cared. We would have let him die, right there. Isn’t that the truth? Or was our humanity shinning through because we were good people?

  I let it go. We were on a mission. A mission to escape. We continued running until we reached the door to the staircase. “Should we go down?” I asked quickly.

  As we ran down the steps, we saw them. All of them. All the people that were absent when we had first escaped had suddenly appeared. They were crowding in front of us, Joseph their ringleader. And they were coming for one thing, us. They were running towards us on the stairwell at heightened speed. Lena and I turned quickly back and climbed our way back up to the top flight, taking two steps at a time.

  When we reached the floor we were just on, we didn’t stop there. We kept going up the flights of stairs. When we reached the top floor door, we went through it to find ourselves on the roof.

  As soon as we shut the door to the roof behind us, Lena used her eyes to melt the handle, locking them inside, and us outside. We were definitely in the wrong direction. Our escape was meant to be through the basement, not the roof.

  “Now what?” I shouted over the roar of the ocean. “What if this is it for us?” I knew the question was harsh, but it was a valid question.

  She didn’t meet my eyes. “This can’t be the end.” She said emotionally. I reached for her, and she let me hold her against my body.

  “You’re right. It can’t be the end for us. I love you, Lena. We are going to be okay. We have each other. We can make it through anything.” She turned to face me. She didn’t have to say anything for me to feel the love.

  She placed a hand on my cheek. “I love you too.” I was just about to kiss her but she spoke once more. “We could-” She started, but her voice was drowned out by the sound of another.

  “Well, well, well.” His voice shouted over the sound of the ocean. There were so many voices that I had come to hate. I collected them. Their voices fueled my hate and pain. This voice being one of them.

  Aiden.

  “What do you want?” I groaned.

  “I have many plans for the two of you, but first.” He smirked at the two of us. I tightened my grip on Lena. His smile was ominous, like he knew something was coming for us. I didn’t like that smile. I didn’t like the bad that I knew would be coming.

  That was when I saw something. No, someone swooping down like a hawk. Landing in front of us. His eyes were burning red. He yanked Lena from my arms. I tried to hold her, but he was stronger. Theo. That was his name. The green haired boy.

  And then she was gone from me. Theo dove into the air, taking Lena with him.

  I shouted for her. Jumping in the air like an idiot for her. It was pointless; she was out of reach now. Then his voice broke through, and I couldn’t take it anymore. “Looks like your only defense is gone? How does it feel to be weaker than a girl?” Aiden mocked. I stopped my unsuccessful attempt to get Lena and smiled at him with pure sarcasm.

  “Actually, women can be just as strong as men. So I like standing back, watching my girl kick ass. It doesn’t offend me. It doesn’t scare me. Real men can handle a strong girl.” He looked amused, but I wasn’t finished. “But I forgot you’re not a real man.”

  “I am a better man than you. I am a better fighter than you. She isn’t here to save you now.” Aiden was furious.

  “You? The better man? That is truly rich, Aiden. What makes you a better man again? Is it the fact that you’ve brainwashed and controlled millions of people? Oh wait, is it the fact that you’re a villain? I wasn’t aware that villainy was the key to being a good man. I must being doing it wrong.” He didn’t answer. He watched on.

  “You are spineless, and evil. You are cruel and heartbreaking to watch. You are so vile that you can’t even see it, can you?” The crashes of the ocean seemed to add effect to my words, and I felt invincible. I walked towards Aiden. He was smiling his evil smile now.

  “But that’s okay. I’m not tied up. So we have a fair fight on our hands.” That was when I punched his smug face. Blood flew out of his mouth as soon as the punch landed. I felt joy, pure joy rising in the pit of my stomach. My ruined hand fought as best as it could. Each punch stung, but it was worth it. “Fuck you, Aiden.” I screamed as I punched him once more in the face.

  His face was bloody, and he became more limp with each punch. By the end of this, I would make him just as ugly as me. Two swollen, disproportionate shaped brothers. Two lonely souls, with near nothing left to lose. Two angry, bitter brothers who hated the other for different reasons than the last.

  Each blow seemed to fill me with more anger than before. I was screaming into the air. Hateful obscenities. I was a mad man. Fear was within Aiden now. I could see it in his weak eyes, as he should have been. I stopped. I had ripped the wound open on my injured hand. My knuckles bloody. Aiden beaten to a pulp.

  “Have you had enough?” I screamed into his face. I had finally won. I wasn’t beaten down for once, he was. To my dismay, he didn’t answer. I leaned closer and realized his chest was no longer moving up and down. He wasn’t breathing. I put my head to his chest. Nothing.

  I stood quickly off him. He was dead. I killed him through my rage. What have I done?

  I turned quickly away from the scene, running my hands through my hair. I killed my brother. I was a murderer. I had to remember, he was evil and he had killed many people. But now, I was just like him. Just like my father. I turned to face him again.

  He wasn’t on the ground anymore. “Shit.” I whispered in angst.

  “Over here.” He slurred. I pivoted around towards his voice, but he was faster.

  The punch landed on my jaw. My face was already screwed up beyond repair, so it didn’t even matter to me. Keep them coming, who cares anymore.

  That was when he tackled me to the ground. I felt the wind knock out from my lungs. I didn’t know where I landed, but then I felt a breeze that was too close for comfort. When I looked beside me, I didn’t see anymore ground. I was at the edge of the roof, and the ocean was directly beneath me.

  I looked back up to see Aiden over top of me, holding me halfway on the roof, halfway off. Now it was my turn for Aiden to see the change in my eyes. Fear.

  He stood up, hovering over me with a mocking smile. With one swift kick, he knocked me backwards. It was enough.

  I was going to fall to my death, but I managed to grab the edge before I fell over. Now, I was at his mercy, and he knew it.

  His eyes glowed and he looked crueler than usual because of the position I was in. “I win.” He said, taking his foot, and placing it over my hand. My damaged hand. My only lifeline left was about to be cut off.

  Chapter Fourteen: You Can’t Hide

  Lena

  “Let go of me,” I screamed to Theo. I was thrashing in his arms but he didn’t budge. “I can’t leave Jared down there with him. Take me back.” I shouted into his face.

  Theo looked forward, and I gripped his hair until he was forced to look at me. “Take me back, damn it. Or I will rip your head off. Literally.” I said through gritted teeth.

  “I don’t take orders from you.” He said and I grunted. Ready to take action against him, but then we landed.

  “What are we doing?” I screamed. I jumped to take flight into the air, but he jerked me down by my foot, slamming me into the ground. “I will murder you.” I took my foot, slamming it into his head. He fell backwards. He didn’t as much as look at me. He rose into the ai
r, leaving me behind.

  “What the fuck, Theo?” I shouted into the air.

  That was when he shot a blast at me. The blast missed me by an inch, but I felt fury. I rose in the air to match him. We were both levitating in the air, facing off with each other. He shot another blast, but I shifted away from it at the last moment. I grunted in frustration, and held my palm in front of me, shooting him with blasts back.

  The blast hit him straight on, and he was shot back. Good riddance. I was about to take flight into the air, when I caught sight of Theo charging through the air towards me. I braced myself for the impact.

  “What was that for?” he screamed to me as he tackled me in the air, and we were flying super speed, towards the ocean. I didn’t feel the burn anymore and I was surprised to find that he didn’t seem feel it either. He was flying over the ocean, after all.

  When we were completely over the ocean, he was whispering in my ear, faster than I had ever heard someone speak before. “We are being watched. They can’t hear us once we’re over the ocean because there is static, but they can see us.” Who? I wanted to ask but he interrupted my thoughts. “Keep fighting me. Don’t hurt me though.” I looked at him in disbelief.

  He smacked me in the back of the head for effect when I looked at him like he was crazy, and I felt like I was seeing stars. I slapped him back in anger. “Lena, the control center is underwater.”

  “What?” I shrieked.

  He slapped a hand over my mouth and kept speaking in his hushed voice. “Keep up. I am going to throw you into the water, and you are going to act like you’re drowning. I’ll pretend that the water is hurting me, and faint too. I’ll meet you down there.” He whispered.

  Before I could even answer, he took his fist and hit the back of my head so hard that I really did feel myself losing grip, and before I knew it, he was dropping me from his hands, screaming in pain as if the water really were burning him. I let my body become immobile, and hit the water with a splash.