Jo's POV
I looked over when I heard the lab door swing open. Daryl must have been confused, because he let go of my mouth. Marlin was standing in the doorway, furious. "Marlin, what are you doing here?" I exclaimed.
"I told you to come alone," Kyle said. He walked over to me and I could tell he was enraged. "I told you to come alone!" Kyle wrapped his hands around my neck and started to strangle me. I tried frantically to get air into my lungs, but it was no use.
"Kyle, she didn't know I was here!" Marlin yelled. He ran up and grabbed Kyle. He pulled him off of me and I gasped for air. I watched as Kyle struggled to get Marlin off of him. "Don't you dare touch her again!"
"Did she not tell you about our deal?" Marlin and Kyle stopped. Marlin was intrigued. "Oh, of course not. You haven't seen her since. Our deal was that when Daryl finished, I could do as I pleased with her, so long as I let Celia and Lumina live."
"Well, there's two problems with that. One, Daryl hasn't finished his experiment yet, so it's not your turn. And two, Celia's almost dead already."
"What?" I exclaimed. Marlin looked at me.
"You didn't think that this… this monster would keep his end of the deal did you?"
"I know he's a monster Marlin, but when Kyle makes a deal, he makes a deal. Kyle, what got into you? You've never broken a deal." Kyle smiled.
"I knew you wouldn't be keeping your end of the deal, so I got a head start," he replied.
"What is this experiment of yours anyway Daryl?" Marlin asked curiously. Daryl smiled.
"I was inventing an age-reversing potion, but it turned out as a poison," he replied. "I've been modifying it to see if I can come up with the ultimate poison."
"And you've been testing it on my friends?" I exclaimed.
"Yes. But only to get you. I wouldn't have tested it on Nami or Celia if you had come earlier."
"Don't you dare turn this on Jo, Daryl," Marlin exclaimed. "It's not her fault."
"Are you sure about that?" Kyle asked. "If she hadn't screamed for help, Nami wouldn't have come and none of this would've happened. And if she had told Nami to walk ahead, we wouldn't have ended up kidnapping Nami. And if she had come for Nami instead of waiting until we kidnapped Lumina and Celia, Celia wouldn't have been tested on either. It's entirely her fault."
"Really, it's your fault. You were the one who tried to rape her."
"Yes, but only because she never returned my letters. In fact, if she hadn't broken up with me, none of this would've ever happened."
"But who knows where she would be now."
"She certainly wouldn't be lying on a table, awaiting her death." Daryl took this conversation as enough distraction to try and test the poison on me. He forced my mouth open.
"Marlin!" I exclaimed, panicking." Marlin spun around to see Daryl about to force the liquid down my throat. He saw Kyle's gun on a table and grabbed it. He pointed the gun at Daryl.
"Put the poison down Daryl," he ordered. Daryl looked up to see the gun pointed at him. He didn't budge. I couldn't take my eyes off the flask that was right in front of my face. "Put it down, now!" Daryl slowly moved the flask away from my mouth. I let out a breath that I didn't even realize I had been holding. Daryl put the flask down on the counter behind him. "Let go of Jo." Daryl's hand moved off of my mouth. Marlin turned so he could see both Kyle and Daryl. He pointed the gun at Kyle. "Stand on the wall over there." He motioned to the wall that Kyle had been standing against earlier. Kyle obeyed and walked to the wall. Marlin turned his attention back to Daryl. "Go stand with him." Daryl walked over and stood beside Kyle. Marlin ordered them to sit down. Then he found a rope and tied them together.
Marlin walked to the side of the table I was on. "Marlin, you shouldn't have come," I said.
"I had to Jo. I couldn't let them kill you."
"You said Celia's almost dead? Can I see her? I want to be there in case she doesn't make it." Marlin nodded. He unstrapped my wrists and ankles and helped me off of the table. We walked out of the lab and up the stairs. We walked out of Daryl's trailer and started towards Romana's Villa. "Marlin, I'm so sorry for the past couple of days. I've been so stupid and stubborn over such a small thing."
"Jo, it wasn't small. I hit you and it was a horrible thing to do. I'm really sorry about it Jo. I've never hit a girl in my life. I don't know what came over me."
"You were angry. I insulted you. And it was in front of your sister. I'm sure you were just a little more than embarrassed."
"It doesn't give me any excuse to hit you. I'm sorry." Marlin placed his arm on my shoulders as we walked towards the villa. We walked in silence the rest of the way. We were outside the villa. I was about to walk inside, but Marlin stopped me. He smiled at me and I smiled back. We spent what seemed like hours just looking into each others' eyes. Then we locked in another kiss. He ran his fingers through my hair.
"We should probably go inside," I finally said, breaking from the kiss. Marlin nodded and we walked into the villa.