Lockdown

Disclaimer: Do I look like I own Victorious? I do not, leave me be.

A/N: Two chapters left and this one's in Tori's perspective for two reasons, to get you into her mind and also that I can't put it in Cat's perspective for a very specific reason.

Chapter 21 (The Deadly Chase)

"He's dead," the voice screeched in Tori's head, "The demon is dead." She advanced upon Cat, who was backing away from her. She didn't want to harm anyone. "She's seen you. If you kill her like the others she'll be happy. Peace. At peace.
At first the demon came to her in the form of Trina, broken up and distorted, telling her the way to be happy again was to avenge her. Then it told her to bring peace to the loved ones by taking their lives, and with them, hers so that they could all be together again in the afterlife.

"Cat." She extended her hand as the terrified woman began to turn. "Cat please."

"Stay away from me." Tori's head ached and her heart began to pound. She didn't want to be challenged, she didn't want this conflict. "You've gone insane. Tori, we could have helped you."

"Helped? They killed my sister. They deserved what they got, but it's over now. Or it will be." Tori clenched her eyes, struggling with the friendship she had. She wanted to give Cat and Jade that same happiness that she was giving the others. "Just two more, then I can be free." Cat's eyes began to enlarge as Tori reached for her hood.

Kill her too. Do the ritual and she will be with you and your family.

The spirit, or demon, she was not sure what the voice was, had glowering red eyes that pierced through the cloud of smoke that was her darkened mind. Tori lifted her knife and started to smile as the crazed look returned to her eyes. "Don't run Cat, I'm going to make it quick." She slicked her finger over the blade, sweeping off Beck's blood. "It has to be this way."

"No it doesn't." Cat's words fell to deaf ears. Tori lunged forward, sweeping the blade through the air. Her movement was slowed as she was still exhausted from the fight with Beck. Cat searched the area with her eyes and immediately dove towards a bat. Tori paused as the girl aimed the bat towards her, growling angrily. "Don't take another step Tori. I don't want to fight you."

"You don't have to, just let me do this. It's the only way to bring peace to everyone."

"What you're doing is wrong. We can get help. Jade's dad can help you."

"I don't need help!" This one wouldn't listen to reason, how did she not figure this to be the only way? Did Cat not wish to understand? Tori closed her eyes, whispering as her head pounded once more to the screeching in her head. "I will make you understand." Tori moved forward and Cat swung the bat in the air, warning her away by sweeping it high in the air. Tori staggered back a step and narrowed her eyes.

Cat's chest expanded and her hands tensed around the handle of the bat. "I said 'not another step'." She frowned at her friend and extended her arms. The screeching returned to her head, causing a vein to pulsate in her forehead due to the pain.

"Please, I want all of us to be together. This is the only way."

"Next time, I won't miss." Why would Cat attack her? Weren't they friends? What had she done to deserve the panicked and angry look in the girl's eyes?

"I haven't done anything wrong."

"I heard what you and Beck were talking about. H-How could you?! To think you even framed him. You killed your own family."

"So we could be a family with Trina again, don' t you see? Sinjin gets to be with Trina and his baby, Sikowitz can forever teach us, and we can all be together without pain and suffering. Beck won't hurt Jade anymore…no one has to hurt anymore…"

"You…You locked us in? How?"

"I got the access code from Sinjin." It hadn't been difficult, and it was some time ago really. During casual conversation, she brought it up when Eikner set the thing up. Sinjin was talking about it with Trina, and she asked about how anyone would get out if they got stuck. Coincidentally she remembered that code for tonight. "It was a long time ago, though." She took one step forward, and Cat followed up by moving back another step. "Thank you for not running though." The girl was probably just trying to figure out where to go. "Ever since Trina pulled me from the water when I was a kid, she's been the only one I ever knew. Without her, I'm just lost. I'm trying to make my way to her, but I needed my friends and family."

"Water?" Cat's eyebrow rose and her chest deflated. "Right…You almost drowned."

Tears welled up in Tori's eyes and her hand shot up to her throbbing head as a moan fell from her lips. She had to hurry, she had to finish the job. "Yes. That's why I hate water…Cat, I have to hurry." The spirit was growing impatient, and its lust for blood was on the high rise. "If you refuse me, then I won't have a choice."

"Won't? Come on, Tori! Trina wouldn't want this!"

"I have to do this!"

"You don't have to do anything!" Cat turned around and started to run, much to Tori's annoyance. The girl followed after her, screaming for Cat to slow down. Her ankle was still sore from the bowling ball incident, but she tried her best to ignore the scorching pain.

She looked up to see Cat's red hair trailing around a corner. As she made her way around, she didn't have much time to react to the visual of a bat flying towards her, but upon instinct she ducked down in time to avoid being struck. She thrust her knife forward, missing Cat's stomach, but scratching her underarm. Cat yelped and continued to run.

As she followed, she was questioning whether the run was random or if Cat was headed somewhere in particular. Her breathing grew into labored pants while her muscles became increasingly sore.

Cat looked over her shoulder and curled her lip into a smirk, "You haven't given your body time to rest all night! Every athlete knows you have to give your body time to rest"

"You're making this harder than it has to be!" She sucked in a deep breath as her lungs flared up. Maybe she had miscalculated. She expected brutish strength when it came to her father and Beck, most of the men she wanted to take by surprise, and she half expected Jade to be a fighter. Cat, however, she expected would freeze up and be too terrified, but even still, she wouldn't have expected the girl to run so fast. "Slow down!"

"Why should I? Your sister's not the only one that ran track, you know!" Tori whined as Cat rounded another corner. Tori clenched her fists and began to pick up the pace, racing as fast as she could to catch up. When she saw Cat jump over a golf club, she approached and grabbed it up.

Soon they made their way into a long hallway, and Cat was finally running in a straight line. To this advantage, Tori threw the club. Cat looked back just in time for the club to knick her in the back of her legs, and for the handle to strike her head, forcing her down to her knees.

Tori slowed to a walk while Cat pushed herself up with her hands and rubbed her head, moaning in pain. "I'm sorry it has to be this way, Cat." She lifted the blade up and Cat's eyes widened. When she brought the knife down, the girl swayed to the side, but screamed out as the edge of the knife sliced her side. It wasn't a deep cut, but at least it was a wound that would slow Cat down. "Hold still…I want to make this quick."

"Leave me alone!" Cat stood up, holding her side and whimpering as blood seeped through her fingers. Tori's heart broke as her friend started to back away. "If you can't see how wrong this is, then you're a lost cause."

"Don't. Please. We're friends…"

"Not anymore." Like a knife Cat's words pierced her. Her body trembled as a wave of shock overcame her. Her head began to ache once more and Cat took off during this moment of hesitation.

After her…Just kill her, she doesn't need to be with us.

She swept away a tear, watching as Cat struggled with her wound. Indeed it slowed her run, the girl had to be in a great deal of pain. "Why couldn't you see things my way?"

She followed Cat to the gymnasium, then the pool. She was cornered now. Cat stopped at the edge and turned around, staring with wide, frantic eyes at Tori. "Stay back, Tori!" Sweat was dripping down Cat's face and her breaths were heavy.

"I just wanted things to be peaceful. Now I have to kill you a different way." Cat narrowed her eyes and looked down to her bloody hand. Tori took this time to charge and swing her blade. Cat's head flew up with her arms. Tori felt a powerful shoving motion at her chest and fell away from Cat, her blade came down and nicked the girl's shoulder as Cat fell screaming into the deep end of the pool.

Tori pushed herself up, gasping out her breaths. Her eyes moved to where Cat fell in, but she couldn't see the girl. Cat wasn't resurfacing, and blood was obscuring the once clear waters.

Her hands tentatively grabbed the edge and she hovered over the waters, whimpering as she flashed back to her near death experience as a child. She clenched her eyes and slid away, trembling fearfully.

Bubbles rose up to the surface and Tori's hand moved to her chest. Was Cat dead? Had the girl drowned? She stood up and pulled her hood back over her head.

Water is bad, stay away from the water, lest you end up like that girl.

She couldn't reposition Cat's body, she couldn't do the ritual now. How would this affect things in the afterlife? Teardrops fell to the concrete and Tori moved her hand to her pounding heart.

If she went in to confirm Cat's demise, she'd surely drown. She'd just have to have faith that the death was successful. "I wish there was another way Cat, I really do."

One more! One more!

She clutched her head, whimpering painfully at the ranting thoughts that assaulted her. It was time to forget Cat and move onward. She didn't know how much time was left before the school opened up again, but she had to finish the job.

Tori began to leave the pool area, her muscles were still sore and her lungs were on fire. Maybe Cat was right, she should rest her body before doing anything else. Yet, she wanted to finish everything as quickly as possible, she had very little time left as far as she was concerned.

Before sunrise, do it now or you won't be able to have your friend.

She wanted to give her best friend peace most of all, considering how much pain Beck had put Jade in. With a gentle smile, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Don't worry Jade, soon your pain will end too…and you'll be happy too with my family and our friends. Beck won't be there, he'll be in hell…"

Standing in the doorway, she glanced one final time at the pool. Her heart was breaking for Cat. "I don't know if Cat will be with us or not, but that's okay. All that matters is we'll all be one big family in Heaven. No more pain, no more sadness, no more suffering…"

Let's play as game and see how much you remember from before that was revealed about Cat. How many of you think she didn't mean to get cornered at the pool's deep end and how many of you think she meant to? Well either way, back to Jade. Let me know your thoughts on this chapter.