-Just so you guys know, we're winding down to an end. The next chapter will be the final one, with an epilogue at the end of it. If you have any requests for the epilogue, feel free to leave them in the reviews, I'm looking forward to reading them! Love you all-

~Ann~

I pulled my knees to my chest as Hector yawned in his sleep, sending a gust of cold wind across the body and roof of my apartement. As the wind blew, slightly at an angle, a dread flew softly into my face and was quickly, expertly, caught by an unsurprising hand. I remained still as it was pulled back, the intruder moving in on what I was taking as a silent time amoungst the chaos, and put into a secure ponytail. No words were spoken after that, just a silent conversation as Thrax stood next to me, both of us looking out into the dark city view, the Hypothalimus somewhere above us, Strep out there somewhere...

And yet all I could focus on was was this one little roof and the man who stood silently beside me, as if all of our words had been spoken already. And in a way, they had. Whether they were screamed, whispered, or expressed by fource, everything had been splayed out as a mess that we'd made, a mess of a broken relationship. But still...it was almost as if everything had been said, but never the right things. Never the things we meant. Not one apology, not one bitter self-depreciating remark...never a good reason why.

And I wanted to know. I wanted to be proven right and wrong. It was the only thing still bothering me other than the memories of how things used to be. Why did he do what he did? And why was he doing what he was now? If I could get those answers, maybe I'd be able to finally move on...

But I sat. Silent, acutely aware of his presence beside me, with everything and nothing left to be said. And it was tragic, truley, that two people who used to be able to tell each other almost everything now weren't even able to utter one word to the other, though we both knew how much there was to be said.

I gripped my legs tighter, the hoodie blocking out most of the next chilling breeze, bringing with it apparently a new courage in Thrax, or some final resolution to end this ridiculous silence.

"No matter what I tell you, you ain't gonna believe me."He mused, and I sighed. Maybe that was true.

"It's just gonna be lies again, isn't it?"I asked quietly, so as not to sound harsh in the unusual quiet of the city. When he remained silent, I decided that my time wasn't worth wasting if I wasn't going to find the words to ask my question, and stood up. As I turned, about to climb back down the stairwell on the other side, he spoke one last time.

"Which ones were lies, Ann-girl?"

I clenched my jaw and my fists, because honestly...I didn't know. It was too messed up, too jumbled and entertwined and hazy and, and...I just couldn't do it. I couldn't think about it, couldn't worry about it. So I did what I did best: I left before things could get any worse.

Moving quickly, silently down the stairwell though I knew he wouldn't follow me, instead go off to wherever he stayed at night, I felt myself grow more and more tired. By the time I'd reached my door, thrown it open, and slammed it shut, I felt like a ton of bricks were tied to every limb on my body. Guess dying, coming back to life, having a mental breakdown, infiltrating a massive mob boss's meeting, setting a club on fire, and having yet another emotionally tolling conversation with my homicidal older brother in a 48-hour time span with a total of maybe 12 hours of sleep can really make a girl sleepy. Who knew?

I tiredly ripped off the hoodie, leaving the now-crop-top tank top that went just above my navel and jeans on as I flopped onto the bed and rested my head back, frowning and thinking. I wanted to sleep, there was nothing more that I wanted...and yet something was stopping me. Something was blocking the way, a thought, and at this point I was too tired to argue with myself that it was ridiculous. Lately, my entire life had been ridiculous, so it seemed only fitting.

I reached over and pulled the CD player onto the bed, fishing out some headphones from the drawr in the nightstand, and plugged them in. Once the buds were situated in my ears, I pressed play.

Silence, for just a moment. And when I knew it was coming, I closed my eyes.

"Thrax, what's this one called?"

"C'mon, baby, you know these things don't need no names."

"I think it should have one. You have a name, don't you?"

"Almost makes me mad at our mother for not givin' me a bother."

"Liar."

"Now baby, I'd never lie to you."

"Yeah right."

"Dead serious, baby doll! How 'bout this: I'll call this little one you like so much Truth, huh?"

"..."

"Oh, now you don't got a comeback?"

"Just play, Big Brother."

"Haha, alright Ann-girl. But just for you."

Click.

I took out the earbuds and half-heartedly tossed them and the CD player back onto the table, laying an arm over my face and sighing. As much as I hated to admit it, that did make sleep come that much easier, for no reason at all. Slipping me into a black rest, darkness and comfort wrapping around me, if only for the moment.

...

I wasn't sure what woke me up first, or how long I'd been sleeping, but almost as suddenly as I closed my eyes a tingling sensation ran over my body, pulling me urgently and groggily from sleep. My mind wanted to remain in a resting state, but my heart knew something was wrong, from a slamming of my door against the wall behind it to muffled, deep voices.

Finally, as an unsettling silence fell over the room, I managed to pry my eyes open.

And promptly wished I'd remained sleeping.

Five germs, each bigger and meaner looking than the ones Maria and I'd fought just yesterday, stood seethingly silent above my bed, one with a large brown bag fit for a person of my size, and the other ripping off a piece of duct tape, the others cracking their knuckles as reinfourcement. My eyes strayed past them, stomach falling in more annoyance and dread than fear, seeing Ebola standing properly and smugly in front of an open door.

I sighed tirely, then groaned out in utter defeat,

"I really gotta start locking that thing."

In a merciless swoop, everything went dark, my body torn from my bed and thrown head-first into a brown sack, body tumbling as the opening was sealed shut. I struggled, kicking and trying to get leverage in the awkward position, feeling the back rise as a familiar tone smoothed out from Ebola's voice,

"Well? We don't want her setting that bad on fire, too."

Oh no, that sorry mother ain't sayin' to-

A hard pressure, and then darkness. Again.

-Osmosis Jones-

"Yo, Drix, I told you I didn't steal your butter! Hector, I don't even cook! The Hector would I use butter for?"I asked the off-his-meds pill as he rummaged through my pretty much bare fridge.

"I don't know, and I don't want to know, Jones."He mused, and it took me awhile to get what he said. I straightened up and frowned at him, shaking my head as I scolded,

"You nasty."

"Jones, can you tell me why your remote is in your fridge?"Drix asked in complete confusion, but I was nothing but immediatly excited. I jumped over to him and snatched the agreeably-chilled remote, turning and sprinting over to the TV.

"Yeah! I've been missin' this thing, wanted to show Ann the coverage of our bust last night on the 8 o'clock News!"I exclaimed, flicking on the screen and flipping to the channel... And feelin' my cytoplasm freeze in my veins. My eyes widened at the live news feed, not registering any voices, just the words on the screen and the faces from the shaky camera shot from the captive camera man.

That...but she was just above me in her apartement...how could she be...

In shock, I dropped the remote, Drix floating over and asking,

"Jones, what's..."He caught himself, looking at the screen and slowly taking an inhale of breath. "Oh dear Hector, Jones that's...that's Ann!"

I read the words, unable to do much more than that in my slowly un-numbing state. 'Notorius Crime Boss holding rookie Immunity officer hostage in return for the services of the recently-contracted viral agent, who goes by the name of Thrax.' There was more, I just didn't read it. Because the instant I read his name I snapped right out of it and everything became and instant blur.

"Drix! We gotta go!"I shouted, scrambling for my gun while tugging on my jacket and shoes, running to the door as my nucleus pounded and adrenaline pumped.

"Don't you think we should tell Thrax?"Drix asked as I threw open my door and sprinted at top-speed down the stairs, Drix rushing to keep up. I narrowed my eyes, something inside of me already knowing that answer.

"He's already on it. That's his sister, afterall."

-Ann-

My head throbbed, by my arms ached more in the hold of the two massive germs who I couldn't fight off even if I had the insanity to try, with Ebola's damn gun pressed to the back of my head and Strepfinger making his ridiculous demands into the camera of the poor, jittery camera man he'd kidnapped. The other germs were stationed in front of the massive column in the center of the room, within it a blue and slowly rotating double helix, beads of DNA inside there that were identical to the ones in Thrax's chain.

Massive windows behind me on the wall about five yards away were the only things signalling that officers were around, sirens blaring and yet no one daring to enter with the firm camera shot of the gun pressed to the small on the back of my head. I grit my teeth, listening as Strepfinger made the demand that I half-expected to be out of mockery, half-wondered if it were because he couldn't get the beads out of the Hypothalimus without him.

"I want you, Thrax. Your services in helping me get what I want, and then I'll give you back what you want...if not...well, I'm afraid Ebola's trigger finger gets rather itchy if he's fourced to wait too long."Strep mused into the camera, me almost laughing and shaking at the same time. Thrax. He wanted Thrax to help him in exchange for me? It was laughable, if only it didn't mean that I was as good as dead.

Finally, Strep signalled for the man to turn off the camera, and the jittering white-blood cell quickly switched it off and backed away as far as possible. I glared, cytoplasm pumping hard in my veins as I, for the third damn time, tried to figure out a way to not be killed by an angry, homicidal virus. And, seeing as how I'd dried up my life-saving tactics, I fell back on the cliche method: Stalling. At least until Ozzy and Drix got here, which I had a feeling they'd fight through every damn cop and germ in the city to do so.

"Not your best plan, Strep."I mused, the germs tightening their grip and Ebola pressing the gun harder. I tensed my jaw as he did, the back of my neck actually feeling the bitter cold radiating off of the lethal substance shoved deep into the barrel. 'C'mon, Oz, Drix', I thought anxiously as Strep faced me with an amused face, 'Hurry up!'

"Oh? Says the girl being held hostage by the gang she was so sure she defeated. I must say, when I heard of your little stunt at the Blackhead, I was quite...upset. But it ended benefitting me, because all of that animosity I had towards you ended up birthing this wonderful plan, and I think it's quite a magnificent one. Hold hostage the virus that captured the city's nucleus with her inspirational story, force her brother to assist the boss of the virus he once pummeled into oblivion, and then in the end rule the entire bloody city. Now, I think that plan might be my best one yet!"He exclaimed, playing with a ring on a finger too large for it. I tried to bite it back, but in the current situation, the bitter laugh didn't want to be stifled. What was the point?

"Oh?"He asked, and for the first time I sensed a bit of anger and insult in his voice. That only added feul to my fire, maked me look up at him and laugh again, shaking my head with a smile on my face.

"One problem, Streppy."I mused, hearing a commotion outside and hoping that Ozzy and Drix were here. Strepfinger took another labored step towards me and held his hands behind his back, lips thin though he was trying to appear calm.

"And what would that be, little thorn in my side?"He almost spat, and I looked up at him with an amused, bitter look because of likewise knowledge.

"Thrax ain't gonna come."I said, and saw Strep open his mouth to say something with narrowed eyes, when we were interrupted.

"Sorry to dissapoint you baby, but Thrax is in the house."

To say that I was surprised would be a horrible understatement. To say that I had anymore words to say would be a giant lie. And to say that my nucleus didn't skip a beat would be a sorry attempt to keep my pride.

I looked over, nucleus stopping painfully in my chest and breath leaving me for a moment as I watched, head tilted to the side a bit, as Thrax walked around our little cluster holding me back and, with his shades on and as if nothing were wrong, lit his claw. He didn't even look at me, or stop to talk to Strep, though the rotund man spoke anyway,

"Ah, how touching to see a true sibling bond-"

"Thrax!"I shouted, cutting off Strepfinger as he actually walked towards the cylinder, the germs near it backing away with fear in their eyes, starring at the glowing claw. My stomach was in knots, and too many emotions were flying through me to accuratly identify, other than the fact that Thrax could not do this! "Stop it! If you do that, Strepfinger wins!"I screamed, fighting against the men and getting nowhere, Thrax stopping in front of the Hypothalimus for just a moment, claw a mear breath away from the membrane-like exterior.

I panted, terrified that he'd actually do this and that the city would have no choice but to surrender, confused as to why the hell he was saving me again! It just didn't make sense, and I wanted to just scream! Thrax paused, inching his claw closer now as he said, almost to himself,

"And if I don't, then I lose baby."

There was no time for questions, for stalling, or for the sudden realization that hit me so hard I couldn't breathe. Because, just as he said it, he plunged the white-hot claw into the Hypothalimus, twitching a bit as the entire outer membrane became stained with a veiny, ink-spill red, a massive hole around the claw disintegrating. I couldn't shout out, couldn't do anything but look in horror and shock as Strep got exactly what he wanted.

Thrax reached in, so reluctantly that it looked nothing like all the times I'd seen him do it, and pulled out a bead at random. Almost immediatly, the double-helix structure began to fall like someone had taken a log out of a link-n-log house, crashing and twitching without the structural integrity to hold it up. He turned, the black bead in his hand as he walked rather harshly over to Strepfinger and shoved the bead into the man's chest, a disgusted look on his face.

But Strep didn't seem to care, nor notice, because he simply held the bead up in his dwarfing hand, raising it up to the light with wide, greedy eyes and a twisted, gluttonish smirk.

"Ah...there you are, my pretty little thing..."He muttered, but Thrax didn't seem to want to stand and watch it, my entire being deflating in defeat.

"Let her go."Thrax demanded harshly, pointing to me with his chest facing me, face contorted in anger. Strepfinger lowered the bead, the gun on the back of my head leaving as Ebola walked over to Strep and dutifully took the bead in his own hand, holding it securely as Strep placed his hands behind his back.

And some horrible, horrible feeling settled in my gut.

"One thing you should know about me, Mr. Thrax,"Strep said victoriously, "Always get it in writing."

My eyes widened as Ebola took his aim. But it wasn't at me.

"THRAX!"I shrieked, yanking against the men holding me as he turned quickly and shocked to Ebola, just as the loud, Earth-shattering 'bang!' rang through my ears. Thrax's eyes widened and I heard myself scream again, but I couldn't quite place what it was. Maybe his name, maybe something else, but at the moment everything went...silent.

Silent, for one second. Thrax stepped back, eyes wide, looking down as his shades slipped slowly off his face and clattered loudly onto the floor. Looked down at the small, dime-sized smear of white, glue-like substance that burned right through his jacket and shirt. At the antidote, seeping into his body. And slowly, he raised his head, face shocked and furious.

And then he crumpled to the floor, and I heard myself screaming again, felt the angry tears making hot streaks down my face, felt the pain as if I were the one who had been shot by something ten times worse. Because he really was trying to save me. Because it wasn't all a lie. Because I'd found it all out too damn late.

"THRAX!"I shrieked again, by my voice was drowned out by the next massive bang, but this time not from the gun of Ebola. No, this time it came from behind us, and threw me forward and, as I quickly realized, out of the grip of the two men. I flew forward, landing suddenly and hard on my shoulder and skidding painfully in just my tank top, wincing as everything suddenly erupted into a frenzy of screaming, smoke, gunshots, and a familiar cannon.

I coughed, and then felt a painfully heavy weight on top of me, flipping me over and ramming a knee into my throat. I gagged, looking up through the smoke that made my eyes water(or was I still crying?..) and nose fill with dust, only to see the furious, crazed-victorious look in Ebola's eyes. They were wide, hair fallen partially from the ponytail and hanging in locks, teeth barred as he pressed a gun to my head, panting heavily.

"Oh, dear Annie,"He panted, laughing like a madman as I looked into his eyes. Into the eyes of the man who shot my brother. Who took whatever chance we had away, like it was nothing. Like it meant nothing. Like I wouldn't turn him into nothing. Like he was pinning my arms down.

I grit my teeth, suddenly a torrent of fury overcoming my body and a scream ripping out as I shoved a lit-nailed hand upwards, feeling it sink into something hard like his chest. And suddenly he didn't look so victorious afterall. His eyes widened, lurching forward as his entire body stiffened, the gun falling from his hand and clattering next to my ear. He shot Thrax. He killed Thrax. He killed my big brother.

"You deserve a hell of a lot worse than this, you bastard."I whispered in a shaking, tear-filled, angry voice, feeling like everything in my chest had just broken and shattered painfully, leaving me empty and losing. With a gargle, red veins shot up this body, and I threw him off me as he let out a groan and a strangled cry, Ebola flinching and tearing at his clothes and skin when it was useless, when the veins completely took over his body and erupted in red, lava-like bubbles.

And I watching it all, climbing to my knees and panting and crying and a mess, watching as he came to a torturous shudder, the lava-like substance spreading until, in a sickening sizzling sound, he dissolved into what appeared to be a skeleton, and then that dissolved into absolutely nothing more than just a puddle on the floor. And then I looked at that for a moment longer, teeth so tight that I thought they'd break, that horrible image playing over and over and over in a horrible, torturous rhythm. Not the image of his death.

The image of Thrax. The image of Thrax styling my hair. Of Thrax smiling and laughing. The image of him singing. The image of Thrax fighting. Of Thrax holding me. Of Thrax teaching me to read a little bit. Of Thrax victorious. Of Thrax shot. Of Thrax...

Of Strepfinger.

Without needing to think, without rationalizing anything, just as the smoke began to clear, I whipped my head around and saw him making his way to the door in a waddle-like run. But I was ten times faster. So, so much faster. I was suddenly on him, slamming him against the wall, his tiny eyes wide and fat chins quivering as I pressed my arm against his chest, suddenly punching him square in the face.

He let out a cry, but I didn't care, instead shouting,

"You...you're not gonna walk out of here, Strepfinger, I fucking promise you!" I shrieked it, pressing him so hard against the wall that he gagged and struggled for air, eyes almost popping out of his head and pure, pure fear in his eyes. I was crying so hard that the tears blurred my eyes, holding my nails back in a claw-like shape as I lit them hotter and hotter and hotter, not wanting him to be spared anything at all. No pain. No freedom. No mercy.

"Ann! Don't do it!"Drix's voice from somewhere behind me, heard over my panting and pain. I didn't answer him, still glaring so hard at Strep that I hoped he felt it, hoped it hurt him almost half as much as I hurt right now, as I felt with having him, the only thing in my life I'd ever counted on and that I was about to get back, being ripped from me. All because of him. All because of Strepfinger.

"You don't want to do this Ann, let Immunity take care of him chica!"Maria, but I didn't listen, I just pressed harder, hoping I was breaking something.

And then another voice. Closer to me, filled with almost as much pain as I felt.

"Ann...I know he hurt you. I know..."Ozzy whispered, my tunnel vision letting up some, looking at this pitiful pile of fat and disgust and greed and evil, "Ann girl, trust me...I know...but killin' him ain't gonna bring Thrax back..." Maybe it was because Ozzy's voice sounded near-tears. Maybe it was because, of all of them...he actually achknowledged it first. Bring him back.

And to bring him back, he'd have to be dead in the first place.

I paused a second, looking at this pitiful excuse for an organism, and knew that Ozzy was right. Killing him wouldn't do anything. It would be hollow. It would be meaningless. It would be trivial, killing him when I could be with...

I stepped back, Strep taking in a deep breath that was cut short as Drix lifted him up with a super-like strength by the man's collar and slammed him against the wall with his cannon in the man's gut, holding him there with a pained glare. Ozzy's hand grazed my arm, but I didn't care. I turned and ran past him, looking around frantically for him, for where ever he was.

And part of me was expecting to see him standing calmly somewhere, fiddling with his glasses like he did when he got bored, smiling at me and calling me 'silly' for thinking that something like that could take him out. I half-expected that.

And then I really saw him.