Redemption chapter 27
Tex stared at the other woman. She hated this woman for dragging Alessa and Alana into all of this. Her daughter and granddaughter were innocent and had been forced back into this place because of this woman's selfish desires. She remembered the woman always being competitive, violent, and willing to do just about anything. She remembered blue armor, demands of receiving both AI, and the woman Lyon on the training room floor in pain as the AI screamed.
"Carolina, you have to stop this," Tex asserted. "This is wrong and you know it. I know you're mad, I am too, but harming Church doesn't fix anything. The only thing you're doing is becoming what you hate. The same thing that hurt you in the start."
"Words aren't going to change my mind, Texas. You have no idea what I'm trying to do," Carolina accused. "You just think you understand but do you even know what you are?"
"I know what I am and I know what you have planned," Tex countered. "You plan on replacing this place's god with Church."
"No, I'm going to replace it with the Alpha," Carolina corrected. "This world is full of shocked people and they need something that will punish them for what they've done."
"You mean people like you? People who use innocent people to lure others into traps like you did to Alessa and Alana. People who force people to do what they want, even if they don't want to take part like you are to Church." Tex scowled at the other woman. "Besides, you're missing one important fact. Church is an ass. He would be a vengeful god, not a forgiving one."
"Enough, you've always stood in my way. You won't stand in my way this time." Carolina charged toward Tex, knife at the ready.
"You could never beat me before, Carolina. What makes you think you can do it now?" Tex was ready when Carolina reached her. She deflected the other blade and ducked down as Carolina took a swing at her. It was all instinct for Tex. Duck, punch, block, swing. She didn't need to think, only needed to defend. Tex could see that with each missed hit or block from Tex Carolina was becoming more and more agitated. The frustration and anger showed on the woman's face and her strikes became more forceful and aggressive. The problem was she didn't have time to mess around and wait for an opening. She needed to stop the ritual before the damage was done. Something swung down between them and Tex stepped back. Alex moved to stand between her and Carolina.
"Alex, what are you doing?" Tex asked.
"What I'm ordered," Alex answered. He drew the axe back and swung again. Tex didn't know where he'd gotten the weapon but at least he was better armed than her. Alex swung the axe but Carolina was easily able to dodge him. Unfortunately despite his weapon being better Alex wasn't as skilled at combat. Carolina ducked under his next swing and with a few well placed punches the axe fell from his hands. Her foot stuck out, slamming into his side and causing him to hit the ground and roll. He came to a stop about two meters away from Carolina.
"Really, is this Alpha's fighter? I expected better." Carolina started to walk toward him. "For how good the director was at finding the best Alpha seems not to have inherited that trait." She suddenly stopped and scowled at Alex.
Alex raised his head and Tex stared at the man. His eyes had gone from their usual brown-gray to a bright blue. "I didn't chose him for his combat skill." The voice was Alex but Tex when he wasn't the one speaking. "I chose him because I wanted to right a wrong. Now I'll right another wrong, by killing you. Alana, give it to me."
Tex was confused what he meant until the sword slid over the floor. She recognized it as the katana that Alessa had kept in her home for so long, the one she'd killed Church with all those years ago. The blade was still stained with his blood as it had been since that day in the church. "So what if you have a sword. You don't know how to use it," Carolina pointed out.
"That's the thing, agent Carolina. The further your ritual goes the more powerful I become, the further through time I can look." Alex reached down and picked the blade up. He tested it in his hand, and adjusted his grip, before smirking. "I can be good at anything if I will it."
With that Alex charged, swinging the blade with ease. Carolina moved to avoid clashing blades, knowing that the larger blade would likely have enough force to knock the knife from her hand. Tex watched as Alex swung the sword, still not sure if it was Alex or Church that was fighting. What she was sure of was that something was off. Alex/Church's swings were much too lose and easy to dodge. She didn't understand what he had planned. Carolina was a good fighter and eventually she'd get in a hit. Tex gripped her blade tighter, not sure if she should step in or not. Did Church really know what he was doing or was he just messing around, not worried because he was using someone else's body?
Carolina dodged to the side of another strike, agitation obvious on her face. She found an opening and raised her knife to strike at Alex/Church. She froze before she could bring the blade down. The blade had run through her chest and her eyes were wide as she realized her mistake.
Alex/Church took a step back, staring at Carolina blankly. The sword hung limp at his side ad Carolina gripped the blade that was sticking out of her chest. "You were always so focused, too focused. You could only ever really see one enemy at a time. When you were at the top of the bird you were good but as soon as Tex arrived you became so focused on her you started to slip, focusing on beating her, not the enemy. Even when a man who loved you unconditionally tried to reason with you still you couldn't stop. You focused only on the fact he was helping Tex, not even bothering to listen or trust him. You could only focus on Tex. even now you were so focused on this one you forgot about my other servant."
Claws reached up and gripped Carolina's shoulder as Pyramid dragon moved a bit closer to the woman, the blade of its tail still buried in the woman's torso. Alex closed his eyes and looked down. When he rose his head again his eyes were back to their usual color. He turned to look at Tex. "it's time." He turned and moved over to Alessa and Alana, hugging his daughter tight. The pyramid dragon pulled its tail free and let the dead body of Carolina fall to the ground. It's tail fell to the ground limply and it stood statue still, waiting for direction or orders.
Tex sighed and turned toward Church's body on the wall. She moved over to him and stepped through the putter circle of the symbol on the floor. She held the blade tightly as she moved to stand before him. "Church?" His head rose to look at her but she could see it took great effort. There was blood dripping down from his scalp and she tried to ignore the open wounds. "The woman said you knew what I needed to do."
Church nodded his head. "Tex...Allison." His words were strained and she could tell that it was taking all his effort to speak. "You have to...kill me."
Tex stared at him, shocked. Her mouth hung open, struggling for words. She shook her head and finally found words. "You want me to kill you? I can't do that."
"Tex, you can't argue this. You have to do it. You have to stab me with the blade and kill me," Leonard instructed. "There is no other way to stop this from happening. Please, Tex, you have to do this."
Tex shook her head again. "If I do then where can I find you? Where do you wake up when you die?" She moved closer, putting a hand on his chest and then lifting it away as she felt the blood. She worried that any touch would harm him.
"I won't be coming back, Allison. When you kill me it will kill my soul, send it on from this world. I won't be coming back. Now do it, Allison. There's no other way." Leonard hung his head for a moment and took a deep breath. "Please."
Tex moved up closer to him, rising up on her toes and she pressed her lips to Leonard's. She ignored the taste of blood, knowing that she may never get to do this again so she had to take what she could get. She gripped the blade tighter and pulled it back. She set her head against his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Leonard." She brought the blade down.
Author's note: I want to thank all of you for reading this far. I've loved writing this series and I hope you've all enjoyed reading it. I know this chapter was short but the last one was long. I hope that you'll all enjoy the ending as well.
