DAN, PHIL & JOE ARE IN NEW YORK TOGETHER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. I REPEAT THIS IS NOT A DRILL. OMFG HJGSRHFKL,DGNVCRD. What if they collab again omfg. I need this in my life. It's just a shame Caspar's not there (I think he isn't other wise he'd have been there with Joe) Oh well.
Also, I wanna say it's plot twist time but... it's not really a plot twist I guess...
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snozberriesme: That's strange lol, maybe it's bc he's had no real reaction to the baby/brad during this whole story up until now? idk. & if you want the video, talk to me somewhere, where I can give you the link bc the videos on unlisted which means only the people who have the link can watch it.
Disclaimer: I do not own R5, The Vamps, 5SOS, or YouTubers Dan Howell (danisnotonfire), Joe Sugg (ThatcherJoe), Caspar Lee (dicasp) or the song "The Weight of Us" by Sanders Bohlke, all rights go to Hollywood, Mercury/Virgin EMI/Universal, Capitol Records, YouTube & Sanders Bohlke bc idk what record label he is signed to bc nothing comes up when I search.
Chapter 25
Trying to Remember
Luke carried Brad, who was unconscious, in his arms through the base until he and Ashton reached Ross and Brad's room where Ashton opened up the door to find Rocky and Caspar in there. "What are you doing in here?" Ashton asked.
Rocky looked over to the door "Ross has a first-aid kit under his bed. I was using it to bandage up my arm after your nut-case son—oh my, God, Brad! You got him?!" Rocky said, surprised as he stood up.
Luke laid Brad down onto his bed "No. He passed out for some reason. Remember the time limit that Dan was talking about? If we don't get the baby back to 95 in time, Brad will disappear into non-existence and we'll forget him?" Luke asked, Rocky nodded "it's starting to catch up to him and Ashton can't remember when they met at all. I can't even remember—oh my, God... I can't remember something, oh my, God!" Luke said, beginning to panic as he turned to Ashton.
Ashton thought for a moment to try and help Luke out with what it was he had forgotten "Um, meeting him?" Ashton asked.
Luke shook his head "No, I remember that as if it were yesterday."
"Erm... When me, you, Rocky, Ross and him went camping near the National Park and he got attacked by a squirrel?" Ashton asked, even though it was highly likely Luke remembered that. They all did because it was hilarious.
Luke laughed "Oh, no, I remember that."
"What about when he found out about us being together? Remember that?"
Luke became confused "No... I don't remember that... When did that happen? Are you sure that happened?"
Ashton cocked his head "I... I don't know..."
"Stop wasting time! We need to find the baby!" Luke said, snapping out of the trance they were falling under. It was like the more they dwelled and thought about the things they couldn't remember, they started to forget other things too.
"Oh, look. He's finally starting to panic," Ashton said, being slightly mockful, Luke raised his brow "um, you've been way too calm about our baby being kidnapped these past few days. I'm glad you're finally starting to show emotion at long last."
Luke ignored Ashton and turned to the other two who stood in the room "Right, Rocky, Caspar, us three are going to go get Ross and Dan and we're going to find the baby. We have to make it fast too before Brad disappears," Luke said, the two boys obeyed and quickly left the room. Luke turned back round to Ashton "Listen to me, I need you to stay here," he said, stepping closer to Ashton and cupping his face, stroking it gently "stay here and look after him, alright? Keep him fresh in your memory, keep thinking of everything you've ever done with him and every memory you have of him – good or bad. Even if he doesn't know it or remember it himself. Please don't forget anything about him. Keep him in your mind, you can't forget about him. He can't forget either, cos if he forgets, he'll go."
"H-how do I remind him though? He's not awake..." Ashton said, obviously scared of this whole thing going wrong on his behalf.
"Just talk to him whilst he's like that and as if he is awake. He's not completely gone. He's still here, just unconscious – think of it like a coma. People in coma's can still hear their surroundings sometimes. As long as he's still here, he's still with us and he's still our son. But he needs you to keep him here. Can you do that for me? And him too?"
Ashton nodded "Y-yes."
Luke smiled a little before kissing him on the lips softly. He pulled away after a short while "Talk to him. Do something. I'll be back!" Luke said, exiting the room.
Ashton breathed deeply as Luke left and the door shut. He turned around to the bed where Brad was and went over, sitting on the edge of it "So, erm... I know you can't hear me, but it's Ashton. Um, Luke's not here. He, Rocky and Caspar have gone to find the baby and get him back to 95 in order to save you. I hope they do it in time. Actually, I know they will. I believe they will. They've gone to go get Ross and Dan too. If Luke, Rocky, Caspar and Dan don't save you, Ross will, I know he will. We all do," Ashton paused, not being sure what to say next.
Instead he sighed sadly, shaking his head a little "Ross... Poor Ross..." Ashton said, thinking about how that boy seriously had no luck at all.
He looked back to Brad and seen that his face was a bloodied and bruised state from all the fighting he did with him, Luke, Ross and Rocky. His cheeks were scratched, his head was bleeding and his lip was bust. "Damn, your face is a mess... I should probably clean it up, huh? Remember when that squirrel attacked you in the National Park and I had to do it then because everyone else was laughing – I admit, I was too, but I was the only one with a heart," He said, getting the first-aid kit that Rocky had got from under Ross' bed. He let out a soft laugh "I guess that should have been another hint that you're my son. Caring when nobody else does. Memories..."
He opened up the box and seen the stuff that he needed as well as a bandage and a pad that he could use for his arm to stop the bleeding, feeling the blood slowly trickle down his arm. "I'm gonna wrap my arm up though from where you... sliced me. I feel like I'm losing a lot of blood. But not as much as Rocky probably is," Ashton let out a small laugh, putting a small smile on his face "remember when Rocky chased Luke with a pair of scissors because he was threatening to cut his quiff off? I tripped him up and he stabbed himself in the leg. Yeah... I think there was a whole lot more blood back then, then there is now."
Ashton fell silent again "It's gonna be okay, I promise," He said, sitting back down on the edge of the bed "they're all going to save you, I know they will. Like I said before, if Caspar, Rocky, Luke and Dan don't... Ross will. I know he will. Despite the fact you shot him. I'm sure he'll over look that. Besides," Ashton said, standing up to get some water to clean up Brad's face and a cloth from the bathroom.
"You shooting Ross? If you think about it, it's kinda like payback and makes it fair. After all, he did shoot you dead to put you out of your misery after you got attacked by a zombie right?"
Ashton got to the bathroom door and sighed "It's just a shame he's the only one who remembers it..." Ashton said, sighing and going into the bathroom.
"I'm in so much pain right now. My minds playing tricks on me... I can't go on any more... please. Just shoot me."
Ross didn't know whether to laugh at the suggestion or completely ignore it. He knows that the gashes on his arms are infected and they're going to make him start thinking and seeing things that are stupid and that he wouldn't normally see or think. But this was by far the stupidest. The Brad, Ross knows wouldn't ever want to be killed by somebody. Even if it was his own choice.
Ross shook his head "No, c'mon Brad, we're almost at the Epoch." He said, grabbing him by the wrist and beginning to drag him down the hallway.
Brad pulled his arm away from Ross "No. Ross please. This is the last thing I want."
Ross looked at him confused "Why?" he asked, angry and upset. He'd already lost Rocky, then he lost Luke seconds ago and now Brad wants to die. That would be everybody he knows dead. And if the Epoch doesn't work then he'll have nobody in his life at all that he knew.
"Because... If we don't make it to the Epoch, then I won't survive much longer anyway. My arm feels like it's hanging on by a thread. In fact, I can barely feel it any more but it still hurts. I'm seeing things I shouldn't and I'm thinking about things I shouldn't."
Ross nodded "I know you're thinking things you shouldn't. Take now as a good example."
Brad sighed in frustration "Oh my god, Ross! Why won't you do it?! I'm gonna die anyway! Whether if you do, do this for me or if I die slowly and painfully from the infection which is happening right now. In all honesty Ross, I wanted to make it to the end so I could remember this stupid apocalypse but now I don't. I don't want the memory of me killing one of my best friends and remembering everybody else suffering. I'd rather die right now and wake up in my bed, if this does work, and think it was all a stupid dream I can barely remember."
Ross shook his head and looked away from him. On one hand he wanted to put an end to his friends suffering, but on the other he didn't want to lose anybody else. Half an hour ago there were six people together, and now there is three left over with one of them wanting a bullet through their skull. His best friend. His best friend he had to live without for a year and a half thinking he was dead, and when he found him he thought and hoped like hell he wasn't going to lose him again along with Luke.
But he was wrong.
Luke died and now Brad wants to die.
Why can't everything be more simpler than this?
He felt the gun burning a hole in his hand as he gripped it tighter and tighter, beginning to consider doing this for Brad. Ross looked up from the gun and over to Brad "I don't know if I can do it..."
"Why...?" Brad asked, it coming out like a whisper.
"Because. I've lost too many people this past week. First Will, then Rydel, then Riker and Rocky, then Luke and now you. There's only three of us left. The Epoch room isn't too far from here, five maybe ten minutes walk. Less than that if we run. You can make it there. And if you still want to die before we do what we do, then fine. I'll shoot you dead."
Brad shook his head "I want... I want you to..." Brad took a deep breath as suddenly he felt very weak and his head began to feel like it was being smashed off a brick wall. He stumbled backwards until he was against a wall and had something to support himself with.
Ellington looked at him in concern and turned to Ross "I don't think he has five minutes, Ross. Let alone ten," he said, he walked closer to him "if he wants you to put him out of his misery, you might as well do it. If you leave him any longer he'll die a slow and painful death and I know that's something you don't want to watch. I've seen it. Kelly died a slow and painful death, it wasn't nice because in the end I was glad she was dead so she wasn't suffering. Yes, you're going to hurt and find it sad if he dies quicker but it's for the best. And I'm one hundred per cent sure that if it was you who got scratched by the zombie and were in this state, he would shoot you dead too."
Ross looked down at the gun, letting his fingers trace over it. He shut his eyes as he felt tears again. He knows that if Brad comes with them all of this could be over within fifteen minutes or less, but now they're just wasting time either trying to negotiate Brad to come with them or for Ross to shoot him dead.
He looked up at Ellington "I can't. I can't shoot someone who doesn't deserve it dead."
Ellington nodded "Yes, I know. He doesn't deserve it. But he needs it. Ross, I don't see why you are getting so upset and worked up about Will, Rydel, Rocky, Riker, Luke and Brad dying. You've explained to me what this Epoch machine does. If it goes back in time, you'll get them all back. No, they're not going to remember any of the apocalypse because it'll feel like a dream. No, Rydel and Riker will not have a single clue who you are. But they'll be alive. The chances are you've already used the Epoch and they're back to living their life's to how it used to be before the apocalypse. Regardless whether or not Brad dies now, you're going to see him again. You'll even see Ashton again. Just depends how far back you go doesn't it."
Ross breathed shakily, looking over to Brad who leant against the wall looking like he was in more pain than anything. Ellington put his hand on top of Ross's that held the gun "I can tell you want to do it to put an end to your friends suffering, but you don't want to because you don't wanna lose another friend. So if it helps, kinda like a win win situation, I'll do it if you want."
Ross looked at Ellington with uncertainty. He shook his head "No. I'll do it." he said, walking away from Ellington.
Slowly he approached Brad who came off the wall and walked to him. Ross took a deep breath, holding the gun in both hands before he made eye contact with Brad again "I'm going to do this, okay," Ross said, seeing the relief rush through Brad "but, I'm not doing it because you want me to do it. I'm doing it because you're my best friend and I love you. I don't want to see you suffer or die a slow painful death. I want it to be as quick as it can possibly be and for you to wake up in our dorm from this stupid nightmare, roll back over and go back to sleep. You got that?" He asked, his voice breaking.
Brad nodded "Got it."
Ross nodded too, shaking. Ellington watched from where he stood, feeling nervous but in a sad way. Ross managed to stop shaking after a couple of seconds and he stood next to Brad "I'm gonna do it from here... cos... chances are it'll be faster this way." Ross said, Brad nodded. He lifted up the gun and pressed it against Brad's temple. He took a deep breath, feeling like he was about to break down crying at any moment "I-I'm sorry if this doesn't work and you end up in more pain than you already are..." Ross said, making Brad laugh softly "and erm... if the Epoch doesn't work, then I am very, very sorry and... do me a favour? Say hi to Ashton for me. It's been a while."
"Can you get on with it, you're making me nervous," Brad said quickly in nervousness, his voice cracking "but yes... I will." he calmed.
Ross pulled back the hammer. Ellington turned around as he didn't want to witness this happening and Brad shut his eyes tightly, and Ross turned his head away too, with his finger wrapped around the trigger. "Ready?" Ross asked.
Brad nodded "Just do it."
Ross took a deep breath, keeping the thoughts in his head that he would see Brad again as well as Luke in less than half an hour if the machine worked. Without so much as another word, Ross moved his finger and pulled the trigger on the gun.
BANG!
Ross suddenly jolted awake with a gasp, breathing heavily. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, being relieved that it was another stupid nightmare. One of the many stupid reoccurring nightmares he keeps having of that. Dan sat in the corner of the room and got up, going over to Ross quickly after his sudden wake "Are you alright?" Dan asked.
Ross nodded "Yeah... I was... I was just having a dream. Kind of."
"What was it about?" Dan asked.
Ross went to respond to give him the answer, but he decided against it and shook his head "It doesn't matter."
"Was it about Brad?"
"Sorta."
"Yeah... I figured. You've been mumbling his name for the past fifteen minutes during your sleep. How's your wound?" Dan asked.
Ross got off the bed slowly and groaned "It hurts. But I can bare it for now."
"Come on, lets go find the others."
They exited Ross' office and made their way down the hallway in the hospital unit when they began to pass Samara's office, where they heard a loud bang on the door. They stopped for a moment but decided to ignore it and proceed on down the hallway. But then the loud banging started again and repeated over and over as if someone was knocking on it from the inside.
They walked over to the door and tried to open it, but it was locked. "Do you have a key?" Dan asked, watching as Ross tried to open up the door.
Ross went into his pocket and took out a set of keys, getting the right one and unlocking the door where suddenly Joe rushed out, grabbing Ross by the neck in the attempt to strangle him – thinking that it was Samara. "Joe?!" Dan asked.
Joe stopped as soon as he realised it was Ross. He quickly looked at Dan and back at Ross "Oh, hey! Long time no see... Sorry about that." He said, looking at Ross and grimacing slightly.
Ross rolled his eyes "Caspar said you were dead!"
Joe shook his head "Nope. It was a trick so that he would leave me and go help to find Brad – that was more important," Joe noticed the way Ross looked pale and like he was only just standing "what's the matter with you?"
"He got shot by Brad." Dan said. Ross looked confused at that moment which Dan and Joe did not acknowledge. "What happened to you?" Dan asked.
"I was crawling up the hallway because I got stabbed by Brad and I couldn't walk and Samara was there stood over me. I passed out – I didn't know if I was dead or alive. Next thing I know, I wake up in her office with her sat next to me because she's fixing up my wound."
Dan furrowed his brow "Why did she do that?" He asked.
Joe shrugged "I don't know... She didn't say. She said she was glad I was awake and I asked her why she was doing all this for when she could have easily avoided her death without kidnapping the baby and doing what she's done to Brad. Then she went on to tell me that if she hadn't it would have been ten times as worse. Long story short, I asked her where the baby is, she wouldn't tell me, I started guessing places and she wouldn't say. Then I started rambling... which tricked her into telling me where the baby is." Joe said, smirking proudly.
Ross' eyes widened "You know where the baby is?"
Joe nodded "Yeah, you're not going to believe it, he's been right under our noses this whole time."
"Yeah, we kind of know that," Dan said "seriously though, where is he?"
"The warehouse."
"Seriously?!" Ross said in disbelief that it was that obvious as they had been in and out of there these past few days.
"That's why she was in there yesterday!" Dan said, like it all made sense now.
"Come on! Lets go find Luke and Ashton!"
They ran through the base as best as they could – with two out of three having wounds – until they got to the science department and they began to pass the Epoch. "Waiiit!" Dan said, stopping running before redirecting down to the Epoch.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Ross asked, quickly following him with Joe.
Dan opened up the door and ran in, going over to a metallic cupboard and opening it up. "Why do you need to come in here for?" Ross asked, coming into the room with Joe not far behind.
Dan then pulled out two hand sized devices and held them up for the two boys to see. "What are you doing with them?" Joe asked.
"They're two mini Epoch's. They can take you backwards or forwards in time and the plus side is that they don't blow up and can be used more than once." Dan said.
Joe folded his arms, being slightly confused "Then why don't you use them instead of the actual Epoch?" Joe asked.
"Because they can only be used to go as far as two weeks into the future or past – if they go any further then they blow up and can't be used again. And in this situation, they are what we need because we can't use the Epoch to take the baby back to 95 – mainly because it's broken, but because it'll cause a lot of damage like it did last year when it blew." Dan explained.
"Oh! You have two so that you can use one to get back to 1995 and when that blows up you can use the other one to get back!" Joe said, like it made sense and was logical – Dan nodded. "See, I'd never have thought of that." Joe said, looking at Ross.
Dan motioned for them both to leave the room – both Dan and Joe did, but Ross never. Ross stood there in bafflement. Not because of the mini Epoch's but because of something else.
"Ross!" Joe shouted from outside, snapping Ross out of this thoughts. Ross shook his head and left the room to catch up to them.
When the three boys came out of the science department, they ran round the corner where they ended up running into Rocky, Luke and Caspar. "Joe?!" Caspar said, shocked "I thought you were dead!"
"Yeah, well... I'm not. Surprise!"
"How?" Rocky asked.
"Samara helped me. But I know where the baby is! She told me because I tricked her!"
"You did! Where is he?!" Luke asked, stepping forwards eagerly to know the answer.
"Whoa, calm down. By the way, you're going to slap yourself so hard once I tell you," Joe said, letting out a small laugh "he's in the warehouse."
Luke furrowed his brow, becoming slightly annoyed in himself "The warehouse? Really? That's the most obvious place in the world!"
"Exactly! And that's the best place to hide something! In the most obvious place so that it goes over your head and you think nothing of it. Kind of like this situation with you, Ashton and Brad."
Luke sighed "Right, okay, come on. We need to do it fast. Me and Ashton got Brad, he's alright, he's back to normal but he blacked out because times catching up to him and he's about to disappear into non-existence. Ashton can't remember when they met and I can't remember him finding out about me and Ashton dating when it should have been pretty memorable for me."
"Where is he now?" Dan asked.
"He's in Ross and Brad's room. Ashton's looking after him and trying to keep him here whilst we get the baby and take him back to where he belongs."
"We better hurry up then. Listen, I've got a way we can take the baby back, but who's going to take him back?"
Silence fell as everyone glanced at each other, trying to decide on who would be the person to do it. "I better do it." Luke said.
Rocky shook his head "No."
"Why not?"
"Because if you take the baby to Brad's adoptive parents they're going to know what you look like and if you do it and when past Brad goes to the base and he ends up with a picture of himself and you and he shows it to his adoptive Mom or Dad back in England they're going to know and they'll freak out! And he's going to ask why they're freaking out and the chances are she'll tell him about you and Ashton being his real parents sooner than he's supposed to know." Rocky explained, making Luke's face fall.
Dan looked on in some sort of proudness that they knew all this. See, Dan and his knowledge of time travel was finally starting to rub off on them all after all these years of being together. He feels like they're his children and he's watched them grown – which in a way he has. "How about I do it?" Dan suggested "I'm the scientist. I do time travel and its effects, I wouldn't mind."
Luke shook his head "No, you live in England. If you do it and come back to the future they might see you on the streets when you go home for a break and they'll freak. This going to be a moment they'll remember for the rest of our lives so we have to chose who does it carefully."
"Well, Joe can't do it either because he's from England too. That only leaves Rocky, Ross and Caspar because they're not British."
"Ross can't," Rocky said "Brad will have pictures of him most definitely and his adoptive parents will see them. That just leaves me or Caspar."
"I don't mind doing it. I haven't really done much these past few days anyway..." Caspar said "plus, the chances are Brad probably has nothing to show his adoptive parents of me so they wouldn't know me if they seen me."
"Are you sure?" Rocky asked, being highly uncertain.
Caspar nodded "Yeah."
Rocky shook his head "No, I think I better do it. Not to insult you or anything... but... I feel like it would be better."
"We don't have time to discuss this," Luke said, breaking up the discussion"we need to find the baby before Brad disappears and nobody knows who he is."
All of the boys then moved from where they stood to make their way to the warehouse to find the baby apart from Ross who stayed still, looking confused as they all went to walk away. Rocky noticed that Ross didn't move "Come on Ross—wait, what's wrong?" Rocky asked, as everyone walked away.
Ross shook his head "Nothing just..."
"Just what..?" Rocky asked, being slightly concerned.
"Who's Brad?"
Immediately everyone turned back round as soon as the sentence was said and stared at Ross shocked as they all thought he would have been one of the last people to forget who Brad was, not the first. Rocky stared at him blankly, not knowing what to think or feel about this "What..."
"You don't know who Bradley Will Simpson is?" Luke asked, stepping towards him.
Ross shook his head "No... Should I..?"
Dan turned around "Okay! We need to get the baby and do this fast!"
I don't really know if you're all shocked that this is a sequel to The Last Judgement considering I said it was going to be a "what could have happened" but I changed my mind. So... Plot twist kind of?
And... Plot twist on Ross forgetting Brad lol
2 REVIEWS OR MORE & ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW IF YOU WANT THE NEXT ONE! :D
Thoughts on Ashton?
Thoughts on Rocky?
Thoughts on Luke?
Thoughts on Ashton & Luke?
Thoughts on this being a sequel?
Thoughts on the flashback if you haven't read The Last Judgement?
Thoughts on Ross?
Thoughts on Dan?
Thoughts on Joe & him still being alive as well as finding out where the baby is?
Thoughts on Ross forgetting Brad?
Favourite moment?
Funniest moment? (Even though I don't think there were any funny moments lol)