Instead she took the necklace from her neck. The necklace was the only thing keeping her alive. I knew there were unknown powers within the necklace. Lena couldn’t be controlled for long because of that thing. I knew it. I knew Sebastian well. He gave her that necklace. I watched him do it before I killed him on Lena’s dance recital day. It was a secret I never told anyone.
I almost changed my mind that very day, but I had too much at stake. Sebastian was getting in the way. They all were.
She didn’t hesitate in her movements. She was already struggling to breathe without the necklace. Her father had done great work with it. He kept her alive when she should have been dead for some time now. I should have saw it coming. I should have known what she planned to do next. She placed the necklace around Jared’s neck. As soon as the necklace left her body, blood began to pour from her mouth.
It was marvelous to see. He took a deep breath in, while her breath grew shallow until there were none. She was gone.
Love. Love. Love. His new breaths seem to shout at me. She died for love, and he was reborn from love.
Chapter Twenty-One: Say Goodbye
Jared
As soon as the necklace went around my neck, I felt a jolt. The healing powers that the necklace possessed began to restore me instantly. The gunshot wound closed, but not before spitting the bullet out for me. I was myself again. I felt a new drive within me at that moment.
Energy, fury, rage flowed through me. I felt invincible. I felt power. I felt everything Lena felt. Felt.
My girlfriend, my love, was dead. I knew she was gone because I could see everything she saw. My lifeless body on the ground. Gabe stabbing Lena, destroying the cure that was inside her. All her robotic parts were destroyed inside of her. She felt the tear from herself. However, the robotic abilities seemed to be memorized in the necklace because I felt powers inside of me that I never knew I could possess.
He revealed how to stop the robots without meaning to. That was Gabe though, careless and stupid. And now I would kill my friend. I would kill Gabe. I would kill them all.
Gabe was standing with his mouth open and staring dumbly into my eyes. He was shocked, and Holland beside him was smiling at me. I frowned at her.
There were no words that needed to be spoken, I gripped Gabe by the front of his shirt and thrust him in the air, before slamming us both back down into the ground. He landed with a smack on the ground.
“First you try to kill me, and then you kill Lena. Do you really think you will be the last one standing now?” Gabe tried to pick himself off the ground, but I was faster. I punched him in the gut. It was a powerful punch. He started to spit out the blood gathering in his mouth.
His hands were up in an instance. Swarms of robots gathered around me. I jumped in the air to become eye level with them. I was amazed that I was right. Lena’s necklace seemed to encompass all her powers inside of it. I had Lena’s powers now. We were one.
I held my hands out in front of me as I had seen Lena do so many times. I screamed in anger as one of the robots threw a ball of light at me that burned like a bitch.
I dodged the next ball, and to my astonishment. I saw red hair. Clown red hair. With a burnt scalp. I stopped.
She tried everything she could to never become a robot, and here she was. She was not a nice person, but no one deserved this fate. Kaley. Lena’s ex best friend. The girl that tried countless times to kill Lena, and didn’t succeed. Now I would have to kill her because Gabe had thrown her in my path. I didn’t want her. I wanted my father and Gabe to suffer and hurt. I didn’t want to wound any of them.
That was when she launched forward towards me. Her eyes as red as her hair. She reached me but I was faster.
As my screams filled the air, so did my energy. Without a moment’s hesitation, all the robots moved away from me as the blast rocketed towards them. Kaley was blown into obliteration, while some just moved out of my way. They fell to the sea, and some to the building with a crash.
I flew down and grabbed Gabe by the neck. “Jared, please.” He cried out, but I wasn’t through with him. I ignored his cries. He was too far-gone. He was a monster. He didn’t feel anything.
“Jared.” Another voice called out. I saw my father walking towards me. I dropped Gabe to the building. He landed sprawled out, not dead, but hurt.
My father stood with pride as he always had. Controlled, poised, never faltering in his stance. He looked sincere almost with the simple way he said my name.
“Jared, this isn’t about you. None of this is. Stay out of our way. We are almost done. There is only you who stands in our way of whole world domination. Lena is dead. Everyone is under mind control. What are you still fighting for? Who do you have to fight for anymore? You don’t.” his speech felt endless. He was right, of course, but I couldn’t let them win without a fight.
I was so lost in his speech, that I lost sight of where Gabe was. He had moved from his crouched position, leading a trail of blood to where Holland had been standing.
Now Holland had a gun pressed against Gabe’s chest, and she was looking at him intently.
“Holland?” I asked in awe.
“Hush, I am busy.” She said simply.
“What is going on?” I asked. I turned back to Dr. Ravana who was watching in wonderment.
“I am on your side, Jared. I can’t believe you doubted me this much.” I couldn’t see Gabe’s face, but I knew the betrayal would be apparent in his face.
“Love doesn’t always win then.” My father whispered slowly.
“Love does win.” I said simply back. “Love for friends can win sometimes too.” I shrugged my shoulders.
Holland continued. “Gabe says the control system is under the island. Do you know anything about that? Blow up the system. Blow up the mind control central area. The robots will be humans again. Can you handle that?” she asked me.
She pulled out a second gun, and pointed it to my father, who threw his hands up in surrender.
I could handle that. I could handle anything because I had Holland back.
Chapter Twenty-Two: A Shot in Hell
Jared
Holland still had the gun to Gabe, and the other gun on my father. They both looked defeated. I peered down at Lena’s lifeless body. I had lost her so many times, but never this clearly.
I took the necklace from my neck and threw it around Lena’s neck as she had done for me. I waited. I willed her to take a breath. “Please.” I whispered to her.
Nothing happened. She had already bled out onto the ground. She was blue. She was cold. “Please.” I cried again. “Don’t leave me yet.” The robots above had stopped fighting, and watched below.
It was over.
“Let me through.” A soft voice spoke through the silence. I heard audible gasps from behind me.
“Clem? No. Clementine” my dad’s voice cracked as he spoke in shock. I jerked my head over. She was back. It was the girl who cloned herself as me, and then Lena. She had her black hair, and apparently her name was Clementine. My father was traumatized; I could only guess there was a long story there. As she approached, I threw my body over Lena’s.
“Get away.” I shouted to her. “Please. Just let her be.” My heart was breaking, but I couldn’t do anything about it.
“Let me help her.” She said simply.
I heard my father suck in his breath, as his face turned from awe to betrayal.
“Jared.” She touched my shoulder and my heart began beating faster. Familiar. Soft. She felt like someone I knew. I looked into her eyes. She nodded to me as if to tell me everything would be just fine. It felt as if I was being hypnotized by her very look. In that moment, I realized that I had never trusted someone so much before, as I trusted her right now.
I moved to the side, and gave her room to kneel beside Lena. I didn’t know what she planned to do, but whatever it was, I knew that she wouldn’t harm Lena.
She slipped the necklace off her neck and I reached my h
and out to grab her. Oh no. Lena definitely wouldn’t survive without the necklace.
I reached my hands out once more to grab the necklace form her hands, but Clementine shot a hand out in front of my face.
I tried to move again, but it finally occurred to me that Clementine had me frozen in this position. All I could do was watch the scene unfold before me.
Clementine took the necklace, and slammed it into the ground. I wanted to break my trance, and hit her for destroying the necklace, but she didn’t stop her beating of the necklace against the ground.
When she was satisfied, she took the key and raised it above her head. She took in a collected breath, and looked over to me. Before I could interpret what was happening, she slammed with all her might down into Lena’s heart.
The sound coming from Lena could only be described as a horror movie cry. She was awake and that was all that mattered to me.
To my surprise, I could feel again. I could move; I could smile. My face wouldn’t stop smiling when I saw Lena’s bright eyes open up to me. Hazel, never to be red again. Clementine released me from my frozen trance. I took the moment of freedom and grabbed Lena’s hand. Her scream had died down.
Warmth begins to spread through her body. I feel her hand become clammy with heat and sweat. She was alive once more. All stabs wounds were healed.
“What did you do?” I asked in admiration to Clementine.
“I gave her the true cure.” She stood quickly.
“The what?” I shouted.
She ignored me and continued, “Jared. The robots won’t be robots any longer if they have no one to lead them. Destroy every leader here.” She said it as if it were the simplest thing in the world. She grabbed my cheek and I felt that weird warmth again. “Jared.” She spoke my name as if it were a sermon. “You did well. You did so well.”
At that, she took flight into the air, leaving me stunned. “Robots. Listen to me.” Every head jerked towards her. “The control system in the bottom of the ocean is your main control source. Let’s destroy it. I have the cure in my hands.” She showed Lena’s necklace to all that could see it. “If I can jam this into the computer brain. It will explode. It won’t be able to revive itself because this necklace contains the antidote. The antidote to cruelty. The end to all ends. While you still have your powers. Escape. Leave.” This was her final word. She turned without another peep.
I ran to watch her over the edge of the building. She dived into the water, and she was on her way to the hidden control room under the island. She was going to blow up everything that stood on this island.
Everyone was flying away. Lena’s eyes met mine in a wide-eyed gaze. She levitated into the air, amused. She still had her powers. But how? She jerked my hand up, and we grabbed Dr. Ravana from his staggered stance. Holland grabbed Gabe, still holding the gun against him. I jerked Holland up and flew them off the island. I still had Lena’s powers somehow as well.
When we reached the island that Holland and I had once been on, the sound was deafening. The exposition was huge, and I could feel the warmth upon my face even though we were miles apart from the island.
Debris reached us even from the distance as well. The compound was destroyed. It was up in flames. There was no way that Clementine made it out alive. She was dead. She sacrificed it all for the greater good.
My father dropped to his knees before my eyes, looking at his masterpiece; destroyed. The former robots were looking all around in confusion. Eyes no longer glowing. Some ran for each other, hugging and kissing. Lena watched in joy at the sight of them.
“It looks like it’s over.” My father was on the ground beside me. He wasn’t looking at me. It was as if I hadn’t even spoken.
His lips were moving, but I couldn’t make out the words, so I walked closer to him. He was muttering over and over. “Clem. Clementine.” Shocked, I looked at his face. His eyes were filled with tears.
I jerked my head towards the island that was up in flames. Clementine? Why did Clementine matter to him at all?
I ignored him, and found Holland was in awe looking at the flames. I could finally breathe again knowing she was on my side, and would never turn her back on me. I was thanking my lucky stars that we both made it out alive.
That was when I saw something in the shadows of the trees. I held my breath as Aiden came around the corner. He was definite in his steps. He walked with a purpose. He was here to destroy something. Who helped him off the island anyways? I had hoped he was there when the explosion happened.
Holland heard him quick enough and turned the gun off of Gabe to point it at Aiden. It was fast. The whole thing. One moment, Holland was in control of the gun, and then she wasn’t.
Gabe jerked the gun out of Holland’s hand. He tricked her for the last time. He turned the gun on Aiden.
“Don’t make another move.” Gabe shouted. My heart sped up. Did this mean he was on our side? Aiden threw up his hands in surrender, but he kept walking forward towards us.
“Gabe, you might want to drop the gun away from me, before you lose everything.”
“Everything.” Gabe laughed. “What do I have? The girl I love doesn’t love me back.” Holland turned sharply to Gabe. She did love him. How could he still not know? “My friends have all turned their backs on me.” I wanted to laugh at that one, but I let the disaster unfold before me. “I have nothing to lose.” Gabe said through gritted teeth.
“I can think of one.” He didn’t elaborate further, but he continued his speech. “We have lost everything, because of you. Lena was able to return with your silly mistake of showing them how to counteract the cure. You have ruined everything. It is not forgiven. By me, by my father, by anyone who died in vain.” His voice was rising, and his face was turning almost purple from his fury.
“Aiden, I did nothing.” Gabe simply answered.
“You did everything. You did everything wrong. Now, you must suffer for it.” Aiden was through talking. He reached around him and pointed the gun he had been carrying at Gabe.
Gabe looked unfazed by the sight of the gun. He wasn’t afraid to die. His eyes even begged Aiden to shoot him down. That was when Aiden turned the gun to Holland. That got Gabe’s attention. He threw his body in front of hers, but it was too late. Aiden pulled the trigger. I would never forget the sound of that gunshot firing.
Gabe making a futile attempt to save Holland. The sound of Holland gasping. Lena gripping me shirt. The bullet hitting Holland right in the chest as she fell to the ground.
My heart stopped. It was that fast. One moment, I had my best friend back, and in the next moment, she was dying.
Gabe was on the floor before anyone else. Surprising me, and everyone else. Lena had her hand to her mouth, holding in a sob. My father looked on in amazement.
Aiden just smiled victoriously. “Looks like you did have something to lose.” Aiden chanted over and over again.
Gabe was not paying attention. He was holding Holland in his hands. He looked down at her.
She was trying to speak, but all that came out were muffled, gargling sounds. My heart was breaking at the scene. He looked deep into her eyes, and said the words he couldn’t say before this moment. “I love you, Holland. I hope you never doubted it, even for a minute.”
I knew those muffled sounds were her trying to say them back. Gabe did too. He kept saying, “I know, I know.” And then his sobs grew louder. And I knew she was gone.
I didn’t even get to say goodbye, or that I was sorry for the things I had said. Or the fact that I had doubted her loyalty to me.
Gabe didn’t waste any time. He placed Holland’s head gently on the ground. And then his eyes met mine. There were words we needed to say, had to say, but we couldn’t say them now. Our best friend was dead, and she needed some avenging. Now.
Gabe faced the gun towards Aiden. I felt my blood pumping. He would be dead. Finally. The gun clicked uselessly in Gabe’s hand. Empty. The gun was out of bullets. Aiden was at an advantage. He
viciously laughed, while pointing the gun at Gabe’s face.
Chapter Twenty-Three: The Big Guns
Jared
I never thought I would see the day when I would agree with Gabe again, but the time had come. We were both furious. I could feel Lena fuming beside me too.
She already hated Aiden with a passion. He was one of the people who turned her into a mindless robot. He was one of her worst nightmares. Her worst enemy too.
Holland was dead on the ground. Her lifeless body was fueling my anger. There was no necklace to cure her. There was nothing to bring her back. She was forever lost, and my heart couldn’t handle it. Before I could even think about it, Gabe was tackling Aiden to the ground.
There was only one gun between them that worked, and Gabe was going in for the kill. He wanted the gun. Aiden had taken the one thing he loved from him.
Aiden was at the advantage. He was faster, stronger, more coordinated than Gabe would ever dream of being. Gabe’s powers seemed to truly die with the explosion. His eyes were no longer red either. Aiden had the gun pressed to Gabe’s forehead when my father’s voice broke through the commotion.
“Don’t kill him.” My father pleaded to Aiden.
Aiden turned quick to look at my father. The barrel still pushed to Gabe. There was hatred and venom in his eyes.
“This is all your fault. This is all you. You have destroyed everything.” Aiden screamed. Shrieked even. I had never seen him so angry.
“I will kill everyone standing here. We lost, old man. You promised us eternal greatness. And now look how far we have fallen.”
My father looked on in amusement. “You would never get any of that. You would never receive the things you so strove to get.”
With that, Gabe punched Aiden in the jaw, causing Aiden to drop the gun. Gabe was fast. He took the gun in his hands and pulled the trigger. Gabe was never a good shot, so it was no surprise when the bullet missed Aiden’s forehead, but instead grazed the side of his face.
Antidote Trilogy: The Complete Box Set Page 44
