Roman drank only on rare occasions, this was definitely one of them. Of course he didn't want to get drunk, he just wanted to sedate his brain a little or it was going to explode. A couple of hours ago his security team had rescued him, and thanks to the bulletproof vest he was still alive.
He should be dead... at the hands of nothing more and nothing less than the man he had stupidly fallen in love.
"I always choose wrong." Roman was already a little dizzy but conscious. "I took the little rats from the same dumpster, offered them the same, and they both bit the hand of the one who fed them."
"Seth used me to save his brothers and then he confessed that he didn't love me. And Dean," Roman's smile was bitter, "He used my stupidity to put a bullet in my chest. In one way or another both wounded me to death and in both times I survived... Silly kids."
Roman took his cell phone, checked an application that showed several statistics bars.
"Your vital signs are still working normally, Sethie." Roman looked at the bars with his gaze full of sadness, "Even if I don't love you anymore, I could never hate you. Before I let you go I made you a gift, for the good times we lived together... Paul was right, I am weak."
Then he turned off the app and searched to the photo album. There he saw several security videos, all the footage that showed Dean since they arrived together to the party, until the teenager fled after the shooting.
"Dean... Dean... Dean... only you can confess your love and then shoot me. When I see you again I will return the favor. You're right, our love is cursed."
...
"Let him go!" Cody tried to stop Dean but it was impossible.
Because of the shaking, the electrodes were no longer connected to the two-tone man's head.
Randy and Dolph entered into the room and watched in horror as Dean almost choked Seth. Roman's ex-boyfriend was starting to turn purple and he was about to die no doubt, but in that moment something very weird happened. An electric impulse hit both boys. Dean had to let go of the other man.
Dean stared in horror as he was unable to hurt Seth. Then he remembered Roman's words.
"Seth is totally alive. Whoever tells you otherwise, is lying."
"He knows you're alive." Dean was clutching his head, feeling dizzy from the discharge.
Cody looked at everything carefully, "Roman put something on Seth to avoid him to be physically hurt. That's why this thing worked just now, because we were not destroying his body but his brain. Dean in other hand, was hurting him physically."
"Seth's body activated it when he was about to die..." Dolph was relieved to see Seth still alive.
"It's not something really effective. If we shot him we could still kill him." Cody said as he checked the prisoner.
"Then that's how I'm going to kill him." Dean seemed lunatic, "The damned bitch is the responsible of all this mess!"
Randy stood between Dean and Seth, "Responsible of what?"
"I don't understand anything about what happens to Dean." Cody admitted, "He's been saying nonsense since he learned that Roman was not the author of the bombing at the dumpster."
"What?" Dolph and Randy shouted in unison.
"Roman is not the author of the bombing. But none of that justifies that he and his damn city marginalized us for years and how they live happily and we have to live like beggars, like animals." Cody explained.
"This two toned bitch ruined my life," Dean was hyperventilating, "He ruined Roman. Now Roman is dead. I... I..."
"Roman is as alive as ever. What the hell is wrong with you, Dean?" Randy was dumbfounded.
"He's alive..." Dean smiled and cried at the same time, "But I've lost him anyway, and if I lost him, Seth is going to lose him too." Dean stood up and walked closer to Seth. But Randy stopped him "I don't understand why all of you protect this bitch! His life is worthless, we already have the map."
"What I don't understand is why you're so affected by the things that happened to Roman... The way you've been behaving since the day we tried to kill Roman, doesn't make any sense." Randy was annoyed. Dean almost killed Seth.
"You are going to let this bitch to live happy after what he has done. He won't be affected by any of this because he doesn't love him! But me... I'm the one affected by his stupid actions because I shot him and I'm dying without him!" Dean was pushing Randy, trying to get closer to Seth.
In the midst of the mess, Bray and his brothers appeared.
"We heard the alarm and look at you!," Bray smirked, "The supposed leaders of our army are killing each other."
"It's not your problem Bray!" Dolph shouted.
"You're very wrong Dolph. This is everyone's problem. You all are doing stupid things and everyone has noticed," Bray pointed to Dean who was held by Randy, "Especially him. Dean doesn't even care about our cause anymore. He seems to have found something better to fight for."
Dean smiled, "I can be a bad leader. But you're so pathetic that if you take my place everything we worked hard all these years will go to hell."
"Your failure as a leader has been revealed. We've all noticed it, and there's a meeting outside." Bray sounded satisfied, "Actually, I came to tell you the news when I heard the alarm. No one wants you as leader Deano, we all realize that you're crazy. We should exile you as we do with all the mentally ill people."
Dean remembered his childhood, everything that was happening was putting an end to his sanity. He didn't even have the man he loved since his childhood... Roman. Dean had destroyed the bond with the only person who could save him from self-destruction.
"You all are all against me and have already decided to kick me out after years of sacrifice," Dean couldn't hold back the tears, "I sacrificed the most important thing I have had in my life since I was 9 years old for our common cause and that's how you all pay me. Now I understand how it feels when everyone betrays you. Now, I understand him."
Dean let go of Randy and looked at his friends with hatred, "Shove your army up your butts."
"You finally lost your mind, Dean." Bray grinned sinisterly as he watched Dean run toward his bedroom, "Let's go to the meeting. Even your work are at stake. There will be a vote to change people in charge and now that we have the map we will destroy everything and of course we will decide the fate of the mentally ill ex leader."
Cody was totally dumbfounded, "I don't understand what's happening here."
"Go with Bray, Cody," Randy suggested, "I'll sort this out and catch up with you."
Dolph knew perfectly well that Randy was going to get Seth out of the base. "I'll go with you, Cody."
…
At the meeting were all the inhabitants of the dumpster. At least all that mattered, teenagers and adult men.
"Where's Dean?" One of them asked.
Bray spoke without Cody or Dolph could do anything.
"He finally lost his mind," Bray was malicious. "As we all suspected, he is completely crazy. He's totally incapable of directing his own life, much less this army."
The continuous complaints added to the malicious comments that the Wyatt family always spread, made the crowd be even angrier at Dean.
The meeting took place amid continued complaints about Dean and accusations against Dolph, Randy and Cody of hide the mistakes and wrongdoings of the former leader of the misfits. Several hours later, at the end of the meeting, Bray and his brothers were the new leaders of the army. Dean would be expelled from the dumpster and exiled with the mentally ill people and Dolph, Randy and Cody were to obey the new leaders or they would be accused of betrayal.
Dolph begged that Randy was already far away with Seth or his comrades would murder them.
...
"There is no way I can make you understand why I did that stupid act." Dean was talking to his favorite poster, the beautiful image of the man he loved, "I'm going to do the only thing I can. It's something silly, it's suicide, but I'll do anything. Omg Roman, I'll do whatever you want me to do to be forgiven. I'm not like Seth, no... He stabbed you in the back and never did anything to repair his mistakes. I know that what I did is a thousand times worse, but I didn't know that you were innocent. And I'm going to correct my mistakes, even if I lose my life trying."
Dean carefully folded several of the flyers. The oldest ones above all, and keep them in his jacket. He took his favorite weapon, a helmet, and looked at his room for the last time.
"Deep down I always knew I didn't fit here. I never belonged anywhere. The only time I felt at home was in your arms, Roman. I will return to you, and you will decide the punishment I deserve, even if that punishment is my death."
Dean passed by the meeting place. He could see how all the people he worked for so hard now hated him. He heard them call him insane, like the children who exiled him in a cave. None of them said at least one good thing about him. No one remembered his effort, none of that mattered, now the fun was to destroy his image.
When Dean heard them say that they were going to exile him with the mentally ill, he had enough. The right decision was to leave. Dying at the hands of the man he loved seemed better than being condemned by the people he thought were his friends and family.
Dean left the headquarters. Taking his motorcycle he could see Randy in the distance, he was carrying Seth. Randy preferred that damned bitch instead of the friend of his childhood. This was the confirmation that he was making the right decision.
"If I had known these things before..." Dean was very sad, "Now Roman and I would be making love in his tower. But I didn't know and I fucked everything. Roman is alive, but he sure doesn't love me anymore."
Dean saw for the last time the place he helped build with garbage and few resources, his years of hard work, now didn't matter. Just as in his childhood, he didn't belong there. He looked towards L.A. He rode his motorcycle and went to his destination.
…
Back in the headquarters. Bray and his brothers followed Dolph and Cody to Dean's bedroom. They had to fulfill the will of the army and exile the former leader. Dolph and Cody tried to convince them to forgive Dean but no one heard them. Now both boys would have to look in horror as their own comrades were going to exile their friend.
However, things didn't turn out as the Wyatts expected. First they knocked on the door and there was no answer. Then Luke and Braun knocked down the door and what they found was creepy. The room was chaos and on the bed were piles of pamphlets, posters and flyers. All of them had Roman printed. Bray took some that had almost ten years.
"Are you going to keep saying Dean wasn't crazy?" Bray questioned Dolph and Cody.
Dean's incoherent words made sense now. None of the boys said anything to Bray, but they both knew. Dean's obsession with Roman was not just a desire for revenge. Dean was in love with his worst enemy. That's why the moment he knew Roman didn't bomb the dumpster and saw the videos in which Seth and Roman had multiple problems, Dean collapsed and attacked the two-tone man.
Shortly after the proof of Dean's supposed insanity were shown to the members of the army. Dean could never go back to the dumpster. The Wyatts had declared him as an enemy of his cause and his punishment would be death.
To Dolph and Cony's dismay, Eric one of the Wyatt ran desperate towards them, "Bray... Randy and the prisoner are nowhere to be found."
Bray was livid. These guys were all traitors.
"Several of the guards warned me that Randy took the prisoner out of here, no one knows where." Eric continued his explanation.
"And you two are going to tell me that you didn't know anything?" Bray approached Dolph and Cody dangerously.
"That's right!" Dolph remained calm. He had no other choice, "We are not part of the army. We have never been in battle like Dean and Randy. We are scientists, or at least we try to be. We were busy making weapons and testing medicine while Dean ran the army helped by Randy. Randy spent his days locked in that room with Seth watching his memories to make the map you now have in your possession. We are not responsible for whatever happened in that room between Randy and Seth. We are responsible for the experiment to work and the map you have there is proof of our success. We did our part just right."
Bray couldn't deny that Dolph's words were true. There was no reason to accuse Dolph and Cody, who was strangely silent, as if something had sucked the soul of his body.
"Anyway, I'm relieving the both of you of your charges and you'll be under surveillance," Bray said with satisfaction.
But to his indignation, Dolph laughed, "Are you going to relieve us of our charges in the laboratory? And who is going to replace us? Luke? Braun? I want to see the development that these prodigious minds are going to get in the laboratory. How they will heal the wounded people and fix weapons and devices to win this war. I even like the idea, I think I deserve a vacation."
Bray looked at Dolph with hatred, "You think it's very funny... you'll still be in the lab, but because I want to. You both are worthless in this troop anyway. I will tell the army about Randy's betrayal. He will also be sentenced to death. I won't allow any more weaknesses in this troop."
Bray left the lab.
"What's the matter with you?" Dolph didn't understand why Cody was so affected.
"I'll explain you everything..." Cody murmured.
…
Randy went to the agreed meeting place and there were Sami, Charlotte and Tony. Seth was still asleep, so it was hard enough for Randy to move him, but the effort had been worth it. They had a large vehicle ready to receive the man.
As Seth was entered inside the vehicle. Randy got a call.
"I'm talking through the private line. I don't know how long we can use it before the Wyatts take control of it," Dolph's image was blurry but it was obvious he was scared, "Dean was overthrown and they want him dead. They discovered that you were protecting Seth and you took him out of here. They also want to see you dead, you can't go back to the dumpster."
Randy gulped several times.
"You can come with us, Randy. You helped our brother and we will help you." Tony said, "Dolph, can you tell me how things are there?"
"Bray has the map and I have no idea when they will start the attack. I don't think they'll tell me anything because they suspect of me and Cody."
"You've been able to talk to the army, about the things you saw in meetings?" Charlotte asked.
"No, and I won't be able to. Although it is awful to admit it, they are as they are. They won't change their minds. I'm sorry, Charlotte, I know you wanted to find something good inside the dumpster, but... the only way they change their minds is by seeing the result of their own acts. And yet I guarantee you that just a very few of them will change their minds."
"Of course not!" Charlotte was angry, "You're afraid and that's why you didn't tell them anything!"
"You're crazy!" Dolph was as angry as she was. "I am the one who is here with a knife pointing at my throat. I have known these people since we were children and you don't know anything about us. Randy told me that you were part of this environment. But you were being protected by your brothers. If this was the reason of your life, I regret to tell you that it is a failure. It hurts me to admit it. Do you think this is what I want for the people I grew up with? There is too much hate surrounding us. Nobody here wants justice, everyone wants revenge. But by the way you act... you seem familiar with that feeling."
Tony intervened before it all went out of control, "You must get out of there and come with us. No matter how much we disagree in our opinions. You can't stay there. I don't think you serve as spies, because they are going to watch you and they can even plant false information for you to give us. Also if you are the scientists your absence will represent a serious problem for the misfits and that will give more time to devise how to stop Roman and your friends."
"In the morning we will wait for you in the place where we hold the meetings. Good luck guys." Sami stepped in to finish the call.
...
Dean had left his motorcycle in a safe place and once again had entered L.A. It was dawn. He knew what his goal was, to go to the tower. The first time they crossed their paths, Roman hid his trail. Now that he had tried to murder him, Dean was sure that he was the most wanted man in L.A. But none of that mattered, he needed to talk to Roman, and he would have to take the risk.
Dean watched as the rays of the rising sun were reflected in the windows of the huge monster of steel and concrete. There were lots of guards. Dean was hidden near a set of artificial plants that adorned the exteriors of the tower. He looked up at the terrace where Roman's apartment was.
Unattainable...
Dean's former comrades already had the map, the teenager couldn't afford to waste time. He took a deep breath and walked towards the entrance of the Tower. IT was the moment of truth, he could lose his life here. Perhaps the guards would shoot him.
"Look who's back..." Dean recognized that voice, "The beggar who claims to be Roman's lover. Nobody's seen you since the masquerade."
Dean almost broke in... maybe Roman had covered his tracks again? but... why?
The former leader of the misfits wanted to try his luck, "I actually came to visit him. I imagine you're going to stop me again. But it's a good thing, so you'll give me a chance to see how Roman humiliates you... again."
"You feel the emperor of this place, eh?" Kevin smiled, "The higher they rise, the harder they fall."
Kevin pulled away from Dean and rang for his cell phone. The teenager thought the tension would kill him. He was literally putting his head in the guillotine.
Kevin was taking too long on that call, or maybe Dean was so desperate that he felt the bastard was taking forever. Kevin finished his call and approached the auburn-haired boy.
"Roman is waiting for you..."
What do you think will happen when Roman see Dean again? Bray leading the misfits seems to be something really bad... and Charlotte is so focused on revenge that she doesn't realize what is happening around her. Let me know what you think about this chapter.
This is the beginning of the end. I hope you be ready for the outcome of this story lol. In the next chapter we will know about the secret hidden in the basement of the tower and of course what will happen with Dean and Roman.