by Lola StVil
“That’s an excuse and you know it. Damn it, just say what’s on your mind already!”
“You want to know what’s on my mind? Okay. Here it is,” he says, coming towards me. When he speaks, his tone is harsh and arctic. The level of anger behind his words makes his voice tremble.
“You are willful, selfish, and cruel. When I was at the Center, I experienced unimaginable levels of torture. But nothing I experienced can compare to what you made me witness two hours ago. YOU ALMOST DIED!”
“Aaden—”
“I am not done! You knew what they did to me in there and you took me right back to that place by putting your life in danger needlessly. The worst moments of my life and you made me relive them. How could you do that to me? How could you put me through that shit? I am standing over your open chest and all I can do is watch your life slip away from me. What kind of sick, sadistic bullshit is that?”
“I’m sorry.”
“No! You’re not sorry. Sorry is when you do something without knowing the consequences, but that’s not what this is. You knew what this would do to me. You knew what it would do to us, but you didn’t care. You didn’t care that I could not live without you. You didn’t care that my fucking soul was dying right along with yours. You did whatever the hell you wanted and left me alone to figure it out,” he accuses.
“I wasn’t trying to hurt you, you have to know that. I wanted a baby for us. This was all for us.”
“BULLSHIT! THIS WAS ALL FOR YOU.”
“What? How can you say that?” I ask, unable to hide my hurt.
“We were both devastated about the virus. We could have grieved together. We could have handled this together. But you went off on your own because you have some dumbass notion that I won’t love you if you don’t bear my child.”
“Would you?” I counter.
“Argh! How can you ask that?” he demands.
“You said yourself things between us would change,” I remind him.
“I said it would change us, I didn’t say it would end us.”
“I did what I did because I wanted to help us,” I reply.
“Pryor, stop lying.”
“I’m not lying!”
“This whole thing is about you competing with Diana. Ever since Sparks was conceived, you’ve had this notion in your head that fatherhood is all I need to be happy.”
“Isn’t it?”
“No! I didn’t just want a family; I wanted one with you. The virus took something very important away from us, but we still had each other. But you went off on your own and you did what you always do—you put us in second.”
“I didn’t do that,” I protest.
“Yeah, Pry, you did. You put your needs, your desires, and your plans before us. Well, congratulations, you managed to do what the Center could not—you broke me.”
“Don’t say that. You know that’s not what I wanted,” I beg.
“How could you do that? How could you make me watch the life drain from your body? I would never put you through that.”
“I’m sorry. You know I am,” I reply as my voice trembles.
“I don’t know that. I don’t know anything when it comes to you.”
“Yes, you do. You know that I love you,” I reply.
“You made me watch as the ground soaked up your blood. I had to sink a blade into your chest. You lay lifeless in my arms and I begged Omnis not to take you away from me. And when it looked like you were going to die, I made a list in my head of the places I could go to end my life. Because I knew I would not, could not survive without you.”
“Aaden, I’m so—”
“Don’t you dare say you’re sorry, don’t tell me it was for us, and don’t say you love me.”
“But I do. Aaden, I do love you.”
“I thought you did, but I was wrong. I don’t think you know how to love—anyone.”
I place my hands on top of my mouth to stop from crying, but it doesn’t work. I burst into tears as he walks away.
I hear someone at the door a few minutes later. I quickly wipe away my tears and try to compose myself as the Healer enters. I clear my throat and try to act like everything is fine. The reality is nothing is fine. Yeah, I’m sorry that I hurt Aaden and it sucks that he had to watch me almost die. But I’m almost pissed at him for saying all those awful things to me. He said that shit just to hurt me.
Or maybe he meant it. Maybe he meant that I didn’t know how to love. What does that mean for us? Is it true?
I hear the door open. I’m sure everyone in the clinic heard Aaden and I arguing, but still, I don’t want the Healers to see me like this. I try to fix myself up. But the being that enters isn’t a Healer. It’s a human. A boy I miss so very much. Randy.
“Hi, Carrot,” he says with a big grin.
“Hi,” I reply with a sad smile.
“Okay, no time for pleasantries. We have so much TV to catch up on. But before we do that, talk to me. How could you swallow that Sive? Are you nuts? Seriously, are you losing your mind? That happened a few times on Star Trek. So if you are going crazy, I might have a way to save you,” he says.
“Aw, thanks, but I’m not going crazy.”
“You swallowed a deadly spider and you’re talking to an imaginary friend,” he points out.
“No, I’m talking to an imaginary best friend. I miss you, Randy.”
“Same here. But you’ll save me. I know you will. Do I look worried?” he asks.
“No, you look great.”
“Yeah, and that’s thanks to you. You gave me pecs and a six-pack! Look at this. I’m hot,” he says as he studies his reflection in the mirror.
I laugh as he sits on the bed next to me.
“Are you okay?” he asks as he reaches for my hand.
“No,” I reply softly.
“Don’t worry, you and Silver will work things out. He’s just upset.”
“No, he’s more than upset. He’s really hurting. I wish he’d understand why I did what I did,” I reply.
“You guys will work it out. It may take time. But so what, it’s not like this is the end of the world,” he teases gently.
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Pry, don’t be sad. Silver loves you.”
“Things with me and Aaden are really bad right now. I mean scary bad. But that’s not why I’m sad.”
“Then what’s wrong?” Randy asks. I tell him my dream. He listens carefully until I’m done.
“Wow, I wish I could explain the dream to you, but I’m not sure what it means,” Randy confesses.
“I do—I know what the dream means,” I admit reluctantly.
“Well, come on! Out with it! What does the dream mean?” he asks.
“It means…it means I have to say good-bye to the one I love. The one who was my real-life ‘Mr. Frog.’”
“What do you mean?” he says.
“You were slated to die. You were on my mom’s list and I kept trying to stop that from happening. It means it’s time to face reality. Randy, I have to kill you.”
I’m jarred out of my dream and bolt upright in my bed. The Healer next to me places her hand on mine. I look around the room and she’s the only one here. She explains that she gave me a mixture to help me Recharge. She says she walked in and found me crying and thought rest was what I needed.
“Oh, um…sorry about that,” I reply awkwardly.
“It’s okay. Been there. I’m Joan,” she says with a warm smile.
“Joan, you know if my team landed in Denmark yet?”
“Yeah, a few minutes ago.”
“I need to be in touch with them. I can’t just stay here and—”
“Here, we figured the only way we could get you to lie still and rest was to make sure you had this,” she says as she hands me a flat device the size of a cell phone. “It’s called an Eagle Eye. It’s connected to the tracker you placed on your team. It will give you a live feed so you can see everything.”
“How did you kno
w I put a tracker on the team?” I ask.
“You’re very much like your dad that way,” she says.
“Thank you for this. I just want to make sure they’re okay,” I reply as I wait for the screen to turn on.
“When will the Healer be done with her tests?” I ask.
“She only has one more to perform. So sit tight, watch your team, and try not to get too excited,” she says as she heads for the door.
“Joan?”
“Yes?”
“When Aaden left my room and walked down the hallway, did he…turn around at all?”
“No.”
“Oh, okay. Thanks,” I reply as my heart slinks to the floor.
My husband thinks I don’t know how to love. My team is away without me, and I may have to kill my best friend. Perfect. Just, perfect.
When the Eagle Eye device springs to life, I’m grateful to have something else to focus on. At first the image is blurry, but soon it clears up and reveals the current location of the team.
They are standing in front of an abandoned factory covered with crude graffiti. The three-level antiquated building is made up of eroded metal and large blown-out windows. There are numerous gutted cars in front of the property, suggesting the building was once used to manufacture automobiles.
The team carefully surveys the area. There are two entrances; Aaden divides the team, making sure each entrance is covered. Swoop, Dylan, and Diana take the main entrance. Aaden and East go around the back. Aaden looks through the nearest window and indicates to East that it’s clear to go inside.
The inside of the factory looks even creepier than the outside. There are mountains of scrap metal everywhere. The walls are spray painted with skulls, and the cement pillars look far too fragile. There are cars on every level. Some of them are hidden under filthy, dusty covers; some have been stripped down to the steel frame. As they look around, East leans into Aaden and speaks softly.
“So what’s going on with you and the missus?” he asks.
Argh! East! Why?
Aaden doesn’t reply. He continues to investigate the area. East looks him over and decides, very foolishly, to try again.
“How bad was the argument? Do you need a hug? You can ask, man, I’m here,” East says.
Aaden glares at him but doesn’t say anything.
“Hey, I’m just trying to look out for you. You know we’re practically brothers. Our parents are together. I mean, it’s kind of official from what I hear,” East adds.
“Easton,” he warns.
“Hey, my mom wants us to get along. I’m just trying to help.”
“You want to help, stay focused on what we came to do. I don’t see any sign of the Seller. Help me find him,” Aaden says as he spots the rest of the team on the other side of the vast room.
“Do you think our parents will get married?” East asks.
“Easton! Focus.”
“Just tell me, do you think they will?”
“I don’t know. I don’t get into my dad’s love life.”
“Do you want them to?” East pushes.
“I want him to be happy. If that’s with Winter, then fine; if that’s with a hundred other women, then that’s fine too.”
“Other women? Is there something you’re trying to tell me? Your dad better not be playing my mom. I swear to Omnis, I won’t let him hurt her,” East warns.
“Shhh, keep your damn voice down,” Aaden scolds.
“Is he cheating on her or what?” East demands.
Aaden has no choice but to stop and address his very pissed off teammate. “Look, I don’t get into who my dad is hooking up with, that’s his business. But if it helps, I have never seen him as happy as he is with your mom. And I don’t think he’s out to hurt her. There, now can we get back to why we’re here?” Aaden asks.
“One more thing.”
“What is it?” Aaden snaps.
“Are you and Pry gonna be okay?” East asks sincerely.
Aaden is about to reply when he spots something that makes his eyes widen with shock.
“Oh shit, get down!” Aaden shouts as he tackles East and throws them both onto the concrete floor. They look up, and the spot where they were standing is now a giant crater.
“What the hell was that?” East asks.
Aaden signals towards a demon on the third-level balcony. I recognize him because of his badly burned, peeling face. His name is Reign. He has the ability to generate powerful plasma filled with acid. He sends it towards his target and obliterates them on the spot. Anything the plasma touches is immediately wiped off the face of the earth—there’s no blood, no bones, nothing.
Aaden sends a series of fireballs after Reign. He manages to dodge all of them. East whips out his lasso and manages to make contact with the demon. The lasso coils around Reign’s hand, but before East can drag him off the balcony, Reign sends an orb that eats right through his lasso. East quickly pulls away what’s left of his weapon.
“We gotta find cover,” Aaden says as Reign prepares to fire again. East puts up his shield, but in a matter of seconds, the orb penetrates it and they are once again vulnerable.
“Get behind that van, hurry!” Aaden says as he provides cover fire for East. While East seeks safety, Swoop flips and leaps her way to the third floor in hopes of stopping Reign. Before she gets to him, a demon with a ghostly white skin tone takes off after her.
“That’s Arctic. Don’t let him touch you!” Diana shouts. However, it’s too late. The ice demon grabs Swoop in the middle of a handstand. She is frozen solid, upside down with her legs up in the air.
“Silver, you have to warm her up or she’ll die. Go!” Diana shouts.
“I got this, Silver. Go get Swoop,” East replies as he sends his lasso cutting through the air and aims it at Reign.
Aaden flies up to the third level and forms a controlled orb of fire. He aims it at Swoop; the ice that is encasing her starts to melt. But before Aaden can free her completely, a demon with a Mohawk flies through the window and tackles him. The two of them tumble over the iron balcony and exchange blows as they crash down to the ground. The demon lands on top of Aaden and takes advantage by pounding his fist into Aaden’s face repeatedly.
“Come here, handsome. Give me a kiss,” Diana says as she climbs on top of the demon, yanks his head backwards, and sucks out his life force with her mouth. The demon falls back on the ground, lifeless.
“Diana, look out!” East yells as Reign manages to break free of the lasso once again and sends his orb of acid right for Diana. Seconds before the acid bomb hits Diana’s face, Aaden grabs her into his embrace and takes flight. The acid lands and devours everything in its path.
Dylan uses his power and disappears. When he reappears again, he’s on the third floor, next to Swoop. He grabs a metal rod and smashes it repeatedly against the ice casing keeping Swoop captive. He’s too focused on Swoop to spot the demon behind him.
The demon has olive skin and conjures up a large shadow serpent between his hands. The shadow coils itself around Dylan and begins choking him to death. Dylan clutches at his throat desperately, trying to loosen the grip of the shadow snake.
Aaden sends Diana to help Dylan and Swoop. Diana dropkicks Swoop, sending her right into the wall. The force she throws her with allows the remaining ice to fracture. Swoop is now free. Diana goes to help Dylan, but Swoop assures her she’s got it.
I’ve never seen Swoop attack with such rage. She grabs the shadow demon from behind, flips him over her head, and slams him to the ground. She then viciously snaps his neck. He dies and so does his shadow serpent. Dylan, exhausted and nearly drained of life, leans on the wall for support.
There are two more demons that have entered the factory. Diana and East band together to restrain and kill them both. Meanwhile, Aaden takes on Reign by aiming his fireballs at the metal platform Reign is standing on. It quickly melts it away and sends the demon plummeting down to the ground floor. He grabs two long rusty metal rods
and stabs Reign in the palm of each hand, pinning him to the ground. He then sends an ocean of fire to engulf Reign. The acid-soaked bastard dies screaming.
Arctic quickly comes to avenge his demon friend. He brings forth a surge of deadly frost, and Aaden counters with a wave of flames. The two of them go head-to-head and sparks surround the factory. It looks like Aaden might lose to Arctic; the frost is coming closer and is about to overwhelm him.
Arctic laughs as the ice from his palm threatens to swallow all of Aaden’s fire. But the demon’s laughter is cut short when Aaden goes into overdrive and sends a surge of blue flames at him. Arctic’s mouth drops in horror as the sea of blue fire bathes him. The explosion kills him and takes out the right side of the building. The blast hurls the team into the air and drops them down on a pile of metal debris.
“Everyone okay?” Aaden asks. The team grumps about being launched into a mountain of metal and junk, but all in all, they assure him they are okay. I breathe a sigh of relief and thank Omnis no one is seriously hurt—yet. I wish I were there to help out. I should be there; I should have their back. What if there are more demons?
“There might be more of them, so stay sharp,” Aaden says as if hearing my thoughts.
“Seller! Come out! We know you’re here,” Swoop says.
“Maybe the blast took him out too,” East replies.
“I doubt it. I’m sure that piece of trash is somewhere around here, watching,” Aaden says.
“You think he told the demons we would be here?” Diana asks.
“Hell yeah. I’m sure he agreed to let the demons know we were here if they paid him a small sum,” Aaden says, disgusted.
“Actually it was a very large sum. And can you blame a guy for wanting to support his family?” a figure says as he appears in the entrance. The Seller is tall and lanky. He has a dark mustache and beady eyes.
Aaden takes to the air quickly and tackles him. In a matter of seconds, he has the Seller on the floor and his foot on the guy’s neck.
“You sold us out!” Aaden says angrily as a fireball springs from his right hand.
“I have six kids to support and three ex-wives,” the Seller gasps.
