"Any moment now, your highness."
The woman on the wall struggled against her bonds, but the man was fiddling with some machine.
"Believe me, I know, I've sunk pretty low- but whatever I've done, you deserve."
"John—"
"Quiet! I'm the bad guy, and that's fine, and that's no fault of mine—and at last, some justice will be served."
The lady shook her head frantically, eyes wide with terror.
She was going to be killed.
John was going to kill her.
She could feel her heartbeat speed up in her chest.
Her sister, Angelica, had already been knocked unconscious. She had struggled too much.
"Now, it's time to step up- or it's time to step down, and there's only one answer for me!"
John had the look of determination on his face that Eliza knew so well- he was going to follow through.
Eliza looked at the blank hook on the wall next to her, and her eyes lit up with renewed hope.
"John- John, there's only two of us, you can't work it without three!"
"And I'll stand up and fight, 'cause I know that I'm right, and I'm ready as I'll ever be!"
He strapped the mask onto her face. He moved onto Angelica, his dexterous fingers quickly working the mask under her curls.
John gave a sad, hollow smile at Eliza- but it had a tinge of irony, a sarcastic edge.
A single tear slipped down his cheek.
Mariah gave a sharp look to the soldiers gathered around her.
"It's time to rise up, or it's time to back down, and the answer is easy to see!"
She unsheathed her rapier, brandishing it with a fierce glint in her eyes.
"I swear by the sword—if you're in, get on board! Are you ready?"
The men exchanged glances, then nodded.
"I'm ready," echoed Lafayette.
"We're ready!"
Mariah sighed, letting uncertainty slip into her body language.
"Ready as I'll ever be…"
He looked down at Peggy Schuyler, apprehension written in his eyes.
"Are you quite sure we can do this?"
"Together we will, guarantee!"
Peggy grinned up at him, but she couldn't stop a few tears leaking out. If this didn't succeed, her sisters were going to die.
"I'll make him hear me…"
John pressed the button on the machine that would activate it.
Three lives for a single zombie life- a pretty hefty price, but if it would bring Alexander back, then John was willing to take the risk.
"Now it's time to redeem, or it's time to resolve!" Lafayette's French-tinted English rang through the air as Mariah got ready to lead her attack.
Prove they can trust me…
"And the outcome will hardly come free!"
"I'll save my home and family…" Peggy voiced her thoughts, grinning at her friend.
"We will."
"I'm ready…"
I'm ready,
I'm ready…
John grinned as he slipped under.
Alexander… it was worth it to bring you back to life.
Dear Alexander,
If you are reading this, then that means the machine has worked. This was my father's zombie cure machine. I decided to try and sacrifice Angelica, Elizabeth, and Peggy Schuyler to bring you back, but one- Peggy- managed to escape.
I decided to put myself in her place.
All my love, John Laurens.
"Ready as I'll ever be…"
Based on the Hamilton animatic: Ready as I'll ever be, by Mush Roomie