The ABC's of Beautiful Disasters

Chapter Twenty-Five: Y is for You

Parker looked over her nail file at Erol, he spent the last three minutes in a shouting match with Ruperttikjakmos since the last experiment, also known as Jak, escaped three days before. Apparently the section of the prison Jak escaped from was supposed to be under Ruperttikjakmos' watch, Olivia told Erol that Ruperttikjakmos was sent to the Dig by the Baron but Erol didn't seem to care; he was fuming.

"What?" He snarled at Parker.

Parker tapped her forehead with file. "Temper Commander, you don't want to get a forehead wrinkle."

"Shut up Parker."

"Just saying." She crossed her legs at the knee. "Also why did you send a team to look for the Baron's banner in Dead Town?"

"Praxis asked for a search party."

She raised an eyebrow. "For piece of fabric?"

"Yes for a piece of fabric."

"Okay you're gonna need to explain that one to me."

"The banner stands for everything good in Haven, it stood for those who lost their lives in the Dead Town battle and for those who are still mourning."

She sneezed. "Oh sorry I'm allergic bull shit."

"Very funny."

"EROL!" Olivia screamed from Erol's communicator.

"What is it?"

"Come upstairs and prove my identity! I lost my security pass!"

"Fine but you're paying for a new one." Erol glanced to Parker. "Are you okay here?"

"Perfectly fine," She said motioning to the two other guards behind her. She smiled as he left with the other guards trailing behind him. Poor Olivia, now she was going to hear it from Erol for losing her fifth pass. Parker suggested getting rid of the pass system and just use photo ids, but, like all the other times, the Baron and Veger ignored her and kept handing out passes. She heard the guards behind her load their guns, something must've spooked them. She looked to the tunnel opening and saw two glowing gems. She jumped off the barrels and pulled out her own gun. The Metal Heads growled when they saw her weapons, eyes darting between the barrels and their weapons.

"Miss…" A guard said behind her as she stepped forward.

"These are the latest shipments of Eco," She started. "The Baron says take them and get out." The Grunts growled and Parker stepped back. She wasn't expecting them to be so snarky but they moved for the Eco. She walked over to the guards. "I'm going to see if Olivia is back, get them out of here as fast as you can."

"Yes Miss." One of the guards said before going to help the Grunts.

She took an elevator to the second floor and covered her ears. The alarms were blaring and trying her brain to mush, she was going to kill Olivia if she set off the alarms trying to get in again –she did it before. Although when Parker smelt smoke she panicked, what did Olivia do now? She ran to the front doors and stopped when she saw Olivia standing on top of a control panel shouting orders.

"Close the bay doors!" She screamed as Parker heaved herself on to the panel.

"What the Hell is going on?"

"That blonde asshole blew up the ammunition section."

Parker blinked. "Jak? Jak did all this?"

"Yup. I think he's working with the Underground."

"Goodie. Don't just stand there you idiots!" Parker shouted at a group of newbies, she leapt off the panel and used her body weight to push the lever down. She almost toppled over when it finally went down but the doors to the ammunition door slammed shut, sealing off the section with the fire. "Now flood the room."

"Yes ma'am." The newbies ran around the room as Olivia jumped off the panel and joined her at burning doors.

"Now what?"

"I'm going to the Pumping Station."

"Any reason?"

"Gonna turn off the water to the Slums again."

"Why?"

Parker ran to the exit before shouting over her shoulder, "Why not?"

The run through the Pumping Station was fairly easy, sure she ran into a few Metal Heads but they were easily disposed of with one bullet. She found the valve and sighed. Two years ago she sat her with her Wolves laughing after their mission to find trophies for Krew, she remembered the burn of the lime tequila and the way the cool water felt against her tingling throat. She bent down and touched the dirt, someone recently went by most likely turning the valve back on for the Slums. She had to give props to the Underground, they were persistent like head lice or a rodent problem. She grabbed the wheel and pushed, it moved an inch when she heard a growl.

She turned but was sideswiped by a flash of silver claws. She didn't get a chance scream as she dropped to the ground and coughed in the dirt. Her mouth felt sticky and metallic; what scared her was that she didn't even feel the other cuts on her body. The Metal Head obviously cut her deep for there to be so much blood, but she didn't let her fear over take her. She lay still pairing the Metal Head would move along, satisfied in its work and look for something else to play with. In the edges of vision she could see it blackening but with a gasp she realized it was blood; in adrenaline fueled panic she pulled out her gun and fired upwards. The Grunt snarled but collapsed beside her.

She hissed to herself and crawled away from the Grunt's body, she got on one foot and pushed herself up. Her whole body was red and her back ached. Dirt clung to her like a second skin and slid off with the runs of blood pouring from her back. She moved, walking slowly when she heard an explosion but she didn't pay any mind to it. All she needed to do was get back to the city, radio for help and take a few days off. She'd be back on patrol and looking for the stupid Underground any day now. She would be laughing in the break room with Olivia and Ashelin about the thing, showing off her scars and prompting them to show their own scars.

Parker coughed spitting up blood, she stumbled and leaned against a wall as pain shoots up her arm. Was it dislocated or just broken? She couldn't tell as yellow and blue smear runs across her vision. She sways on her feet as she slides down the wall leaving a streak of blood and dirt. She could feel the Green Eco trying to heal her, trying to fight off the bit of Dark Eco in her system but it wasn't working. She was struggling to close the gashes on her back and the gash on her head. She touched her hair, it was slick with blood and mud.

The yellow and blue smear came closer, now with a hint of orange mixed in. "Who's that?"

"Parker Drake." The smear snarled.

"Isn't she the one that girl asked us find?"

There was a pause. "Yes, unfortunately."

"Wait, where are we going?" The orange streak asked jumping up and down.

"She's dead anyways."

Parker laughed, a high-pitched cackle. "You don't know me little boy." She fell to her side, her hair falling over her face in a thick splat. She looked at the smear, really looked at it. She could see darkness in it, a darkness that burned to destroy, to kill but wanted to be saved. She sighed and smiled. "You can't see me, like I can see you…" She whispered before her curtain of hair closed in around her.

TBC…

Author's Note

So it's my birthday and I'm 23 years old! Yippy! Anyways there's a poll on my author page and you can vote on questions you can ask me since this fanfiction is ending next week! I'm going to be posting the answers when the second book comes out (not on fanfiction but either or deviantART or tumblr). Thanks to EcoSeeker for her review.