You guys...first merry christmas, second I'm soo sorry. I won't abandon this story, I'm really busy and my free time is used to sleep or to study, but I promise you, I'll keep writing whenever I can. Now enjoy this chapter and tell me your thoughts! :*
Beca's looking at her father's face, she didn't think that she'd ever see him again. This video was probably made a few days before they left because his hairs are shorter than usual.
"I'm so sorry…I hope you're doing well despite everything. I don't how much you'll know when you'll see this video, but I think Megan and your mother, being the protective ones, won't explain much"
Beca eyes are filled with tears, she's gripping at the desk bending it. Her father hadn't thought that her mother could die too and it feels like someone has their hand on her heart and is squeezing it. Her father will never know the truth. She closes her eyes letting her tears fall across her cheeks and takes a deep breath before opening them again locking them with her father's.
"And as always, I am the one who has to get his hands dirty" Beca's lips are broken by a half sob and half laugh.
"There is a reason why you have powers. I studied a lot and with your aunt's help we discovered that there is a gene which is triggered when you die. The process is difficult and full of scientific stuff so I won't explain you because I know you hate them, but if you want to read them there is a directory called 'scientific stuff'. I was working on a cure when we needed to move to Georgia. Megan wrote me a letter saying that the Council wanted us there. Well, they wanted you there. And then I supposed something went wrong. I don't know how we'll die but I want you to know that you need to stay away from the Council. I worked with them, my association was a cover. Actually, the seat here, in Rome, is a real scientific research center, but the branch in Georgia is the Council. They just want to keep you in a cell for the rest of your life or until the Destructors are killed. They are scared because there is a prophecy, in which I don't believe because I know you and you aren't bad, I still regret the day I found that book in where the prophecy is written. Apparently, you, the Destructors and your Aunt aren't the only ones with powers. It's something that exists from centuries and all around the world. As you may know your Aunt and I went to find others and bring them to the Council. We met a tribe that explained us that there are people able to use powers when they interact with someone with powers, the Protectors. I don't know how it works, I asked them but they gave me a non-scientific answer, so it'll be something that we have to accept blindly.
There are a lot-"
Her father turns his head looking behind him. Someone, probably sixteen years old Beca, is calling for him.
"Alright, I need to end this video b saying that there are a lot of things that I wanted to say to, but I was so scared and I hope you'll forgive me someday. If you have any questions you can ask Pix, the voice who guided here. One of my ultimate experiment. It responses only at your voice and you'll find a ton of files in this computer.
Again, I'm so sorry honey, I wish things could have been different.
I love you and your mother more than anything. And please stay out of the Council, please"
Beca's face is covered in tears as she watches her father smile before he ends the video. She stares at the black screen trying to process.
Her head feels too heavy for her neck.
She wants to scream, or punch something or just leave and never looking back.
Chloe's hand on her back is the only thing that stops her from doing one of those things or all of them.
"Beca…"
The small brunette closes her eyes and taking deep breath.
"I-I need a minute alone, please"
Stacie, Aubrey, Megan, Alex and Chloe nods before walking towards the door. Beca stops Chloe.
"Can you stay?"
"Of course"
Chloe sits in Beca's lap, her arms around the brunette's neck.
"I feel like I'm drowning Chlo. I have no idea of what I'm going to do. It's just too much-"
"Hey Becs" Chloe takes Beca's face between her hands and leans in until their foreheads touch.
"Everything is gonna be ok, you need to take one step at the time. Also, I think that handling your feelings now is at the top of your list. So, why don't you tell me how you feel. The first thing that comes to your mind"
Chloe leans back to look into those stormy blue eyes.
"Useless. Alone. Betrayed. I want my life back. I don't want to fight, I don't want people to die because of me, I have my parents on my shoulders and they are heavy as hell. I just…" Beca close her eyes and takes a shaky breath before opening them again and looking at the wall on her left.
"I wish I died that night, not my parents"
Chloe's heart skips a beat. They look at each other. Beca's eyes are filled with tears and reddened. The brunette looks away.
"I'm sorry I-I shouldn't have said those things. I'm not depressed or something, my mind just went there and-"
Chloe puts a finger on Beca's lips.
"Beca Mitchell. Please do not ever, ever again, apologize for expressing your feelings. Especially with me"
Beca's eyes dart from Chloe's eyes to her lips until she leans in and kisses the redhead.
The kiss is chaste and short but it has a lot of unspoken words in it.
"Thank you"
Chloe smiles at the brunette "Always" she kisses Beca again.
"By the way, I'm here, we're here and Stacie, Megan and Alex won't let anything happen to us or to other people"
Beca sighs "You don't know that Chloe. I don't want to be pessimistic, but the odds aren't in our favor"
Chloe shakes her head "I know everything is gonna be fine because you're here with me and I trust you"
Beca chuckles "That was so cheesy"
Chloe grins moving Beca's face away with her hand.
"Oh shut up. I'm a hopeless romantic"
"Yeah I've noticed it"
Beca takes Chloe hand interlocking their fingers.
They stay in silence for a bit until Beca clears her throat.
"We should go and see what the next move is-"
"Beca sign the paper"
The voice, Pix, informs her.
"That's so creepy"
Chloe stands up chuckling.
Beca takes the contract and signs it then she looks up "Happy?"
"Very. Now that you're the titular of the house, you can have access at every room, the gym, the pool and a lot more. If you need anything, just say my name"
Beca looks at Chloe raising both her eyebrows, gaining a giggle from the redhead.
"We have a pool"
"YOU have a pool"
Beca snorts "Oh you're staying here"
Chloe stops in her tracks "What?"
Beca's brain registers what she said.
"Oh no, that's not, uhm…I mean you can stay here, if you want and Stacie and Aubrey too. I wasn't-"
"Oh my god Beca, I was joking, I knew what you meant"
Chloe says rolling her eyes walking toward the door.
"Ouch" Beca says as she catches up with Chloe who shakes her head and laughs.
"Marcus, you can do it, just for this time"
"Are you insane? Last time I used it I nearly died"
"Easy then, you just have to not die"
Marcus glares at the men in front of him, as he meets Stephen's eyes he knows that he has no choice.
"If I'm gonna die, I'll haunt you"
Then the blond stands up from the chair and reaches a bottle in the middle of the table and takes a knife from his jeans' pocket.
Closing his eyes he takes the knife and cuts his palm, pal letting his blood falling in the table. Then he opens the bottle and pours the substance In the table. His blood mixes with the bottles.
"Ego quaerenti"
A fog appears from under the table darkening the room.
"Thesaurum quaereret"
Stephen places a map on the table and the blood moves until it reaches a spot on the map.
Marcus stops talking and the fog disappears.
"You did it Marcus" the third man in the room says as he looks down to the map.
"I hope it's worthed, I feel like shit and I'm going to sleep. I need to be at the top, we can't screw this up. We have only this chance. If we can't take her, we'll go for the redhead"
After that Marcus teleport Himself in his room leaving Stephen and Nicholas.
"Ready?" Nicholas says.
"Of course my friend, it's gonna be a magnificent day, we'll finally take back what's ours. We'll show the world that humans have to kneel to us, with the Adamas by our side, we'll be invincible"
It's the day of the final, the stress is poisoning the air. Beca, Chloe, Aubrey and Stacie stayed in Beca's house in the past days and this morning they all got up, had breakfast and left the house to meet the other bellas, everything without saying a word.
"Alright girls, the bus is here. Please Amy don't crush it and drive slowly, or someone is gonna be sick" Aubrey says as a white bus with the writing "Bellas" on both sides parks near them.
"Here's the keys, try to bring it back as it is now" a man says as he steps out of the bus.
Amy takes the keys saying something about wrestling three crocodiles together and stepping on the bus followed by the other girls.
Beca sits near Chloe who's looking outside the window.
"Are you ok?" The brunette asks taking Chloe's hand.
"I'm fine, just anxious" the redhead smiles squeezing the hand above hers.
"Yeah, me too" Beca mirrors the smile but her mind is screaming to stop the bus and stay at home. She woke up with this feeling of fear and anxiety, she initially thought it was because of the final but then she realizes that it wasn't. It was something else, but she couldn't quite place it in a box, it was new.
The bus starts moving and Beca looks around, everyone is doing something to distract them. She wishes she could do that too so she does the best thing to do in this case: sleeping.
"Becs, wake up, you're having a nightmare"
Beca opens her eyes and Chloe's looking at her with a worried expression.
"What?" Beca says yawning.
"You had a nightmare, you were talking in italian, I tried to touch you to see if it happened like that time-"
"Chloe don't…you can't do that, I don't want you to feel whatever I'm feeling in the dream, because I know it won't be a good feeling"
"sorry…were you dreaming about that night?"
Beca frowns "No actually it was strange, there were the destructors, blood and something else but I don't remember…how long till we arrive?"
Chloe looks at her phone "Half an hour"
"Good" Beca watches in front of her and loses in her thoughts, was that just a dream? Or a premonitory dream? With everything that happened, she wouldn't be surprised if she had some weird connection and she saw what was happening. But maybe it was just a dream…maybe.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
Beca turns her head to face the redhead "yeah"
"You're an awful liar"
Beca quirks an eyebrow "What?"
Chloe sighs "Listen, if you don't want to talk, I'm fine with that but please at least tell me if I have to be worried"
Beca holds Chloe's look. "I'm fine and there is no reason to be worried about, I have only a strange feeling, but I think it's because of the final" the brunette shrugs.
"Probably"
Beca frowns "What do you mean?"
"Nothing"
"Chloe.."
The redhead sighs.
"Well, I mean you're you so, if you have a strange feeling maybe there is a reason, maybe we need to be careful"
"Of course we need to be careful" Beca looks around before lowering her voice " the destructors are still out there, and in the past days nothing happened, so I'm really scared. But I don't want to scare the others"
"Do you think we should go back?" Chloe's eyes are full of fear. Beca sighs and lunches forward to kiss her.
"No, we have a final to win, I won't let a feeling to jeopardize that. Plus, Megan and Alex will be there, we won't be alone"
Chloe closes her eyes and when she opens them again the fear has been replaced by pride "right, we need to crush those assho-"
"whoa, calm your dolphins"
Chloe laughs "what?"
"Isn't that the right sentence?"
"Nope, but it could be"
Beca rolls her eyes "whatever"
"Ten minutes girls" Amy shouts from the driver seat.
"Oh my goodness" Chloe says squirming in her seat.
"Chill out, we're gonna win"
"How can you be so sure?"
"Sixth sense…but, you know, I can always cheat" Beca winks.
"Beca Mitchell, don't you dare"
Beca laughs "I won't don't worry"
"Yoh ladybirds, don't ruin your vocal cords with your tongues"
Beca makes a disgusted face "Ew CR, what an image"
Chloe chuckles "Don't worry, I know how to handle Beca's tongue"
Beca's mouth falls open while catcalls are made by the girls.
The brunette covers her face with her hands as she whispers an 'oh my god', waiting for her seat to swallow her.
They arrive at the Kennedy Center, alive, against all the odds.
The more they get close to the stage the more Baca feels strange. She's tense, her hands are sweating and her heart is beating like a crazy drummer.
Chloe keeps her eyes to the brunette, this time though because she's worried. Beca looks paranoiac, she keeps looking around like someone at any moment would jumps out of nowhere. She finds Stacie's eyes, that were focused on the brunette too before raising up to meet Chloe's.
Stacie's look makes her hair curl, she's scared too, she sees it in her eyes. Chloe turns to the brunette next to her, who's looking nervously behind her.
"Beca"
She turns her head to look at the redhead.
"What's going on?"
"I-I don't know Chlo. I'm just…never mind. It's all in my head-" Beca's head starts buzzing.
Chloe brings her hands to Beca's shoulders "Please stop. We both know that it's never just in your mind. Tell me"
Beca sighs trying to ignore the pain in her head "That dream…I think the destructors are gonna be here…to…to start the war. I'm so sorry I-"
"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Kennedy Center"
"Shit. It's too late. Stay behind me Chlo"
Chloe looks confused.
"That's one of them"
Chloe's blood turns into ice, she didn't recognize him, he wasn't with the other two when they attacked she and Beca.
Stacie is quickly next to them.
"Stacie, what are we gonna do?"
"We need to take you away from here"
"What?! I'm not leaving like a coward"
Stacie rolls her eyes.
"You're not leaving like a coward, you're leaving like a smart person. They want you, and they'll do whatever they need to do to take you with them"
"Stacie! Beca! We need to go"
Alex approaches them.
"Where's Megan?" Stacie asks.
"She's in the audience. She'll handle the destructors"
"She can't. They're too powerful" Beca says looking, from Stacie to Alex.
"I know, but she's the master and she wants you out of here. So I'm going to do that"
"I'm sorry but you won't hear any of this…acappella singers tonight. Well actually it will depend on what one of the singers will do. I'm talking to you Adamas. Come on, you don't want to let those people waiting"
Marcus walks around the stage then he puts a hand on his forehead.
"Oh I almost forgot it. If you don't come here we'll kill everyone."
People in the audience starts moving, screaming.
"Quiet! Create a line please"
"Beca, let's go" Alex takes her arm and starts pulling.
"No. I need to go there"
Alex groans "Oh please Beca, they'll kill everyone even if they have you. Actually, they'll probably make you do that. Please let's go"
"Adamas? Nothing? Alright then. The first one please steps forward"
A man from the line the audience formed walks on the stage.
Marcus raises his hand, starts bending his fingers until they close into a fist. The man widens his eyes, he doesn't have the time to scream that he collapses in the stage. Marcus killed him, without warning, without blinking an eye.
Beca screams.
Alex tries to hold her back but the brunette manages to push her away and reaches the stage.
"Beca no!" Alex screams, her eyes follow the brunette until she's behind Marcus. She can't believe that the brunette is standing right in the place where Megan ordered her to keep Beca away.
She's failed, from now on everything that happens will be her fault.
The blond turns around and smirks as he sees Beca approaching him.
"Hi there. You have only a life on your hands. Good job-"
"Shut up!" Beca tries to punch him but he quickly moves and punches her in the stomach.
Beca groans in pain and kneels in the stage.
"Bec-" Chloe screams but Alex covers her mouth immediately.
"Are you insane? We need to go. Now before-"
"Who was that? Your friend? You're being rude Adamas. Come over here Adamas' friend"
"No please. You want me and I'm here. Leave everyone out of this" Beca says standing up.
Marcus laughs "Relax I just want to talk"
Alex tries to keep the redhead there but then Marcus influence hits her too, she sees her hand opening to let Chloe walk away.
Megan in the meanwhile is trying to find William in the audience. She changed her features so that no one can recognize her. She moves between the people that are still forming lines ad tries to not think about her niece in the stage with Marcus. She knew Beca was going to escape Alex custody, she just hopes the Council will arrive soon.
Megan finds William and Caleb.
"The plan worked, now how we catch them without they killing everyone?" Megan says.
"The Council are all over the place, we're searching for Stephen and Nicholas" William says then he places a hand on Megan's shoulder. "Don't worry we'll take them down and Beca is gonna be safe"
"You need the get everyone home alive, William, not just my niece. She'll kill me otherwise"
"Sure, you have my word" William reassures her.
"There is no sign of them. Alex and Stacie are in the backstage?" Caleb says looking at Megan who nods.
"Can you contact her? We need Marcus to find the other"
"I can, but Caleb, you know that this smells like a trap" Megan says closing her eyes to concentrate.
"Yes, I know. It's time to act in fact. Let Alex and Stacie know that they need to be ready to fight"
Megan sighs and makes a hologram that appears in the backstage. Luckily no one sees her.
"Alex, Stacie"
They turn around scared. "Megan! What's-"
"Later, be prepared, the Council is coming" Megan's hologram disappears, leaving Stacie and Alex confused.
"Stacie"
The tall brunette nods and turns to Aubrey who's tears in her eyes.
"Hey, I need you to be brave for a little bit more. We need to know that you girls are safe, can you do that for me?" Stacie asks softly placing both hands in the blonde's cheeks.
"But what if-"
"No, don't go there. Go now, I'll take care of Chloe and Beca, don't worry"
"I'm sorry but, what the hell is going on?" Fat Amy asks.
"Aubrey will explain everything to you later, now you need to go with her without any other questions" Stacie says and with her surprise all the girls nod and follow Aubrey.
"That was surprisingly easy" Alex says.
"I think their thirst of gossip won against staying here with us"
"Probably. I just want to know why Marcus is buying time talking to Chloe and Beca. I think we're missing something" Alex says and Stacie frowns.
"So you guys really are nerd" Marcus says laughing.
"What do you want?" Beca asks. She keeps Chloe behind her and doesn't break the eye contact with Marcus.
"Oh Adamas, we want to know your friend"
Beca frowns "We? You're alone"
Marcus looks around "Well, not quite right"
"Where are the others?"
"They are…waiting" Marcus walks around playing with the microphone.
"For what?"
He chuckles "Come on, haven't your precious Master and Guardian told you the story that binds us?"
Beca freezes. They want to start the war now. She needs to do something. To stop them.
"Chloe, leave" Beca says and Marcus watches her amused.
"You really think that you're in charge?"
"Let her go or I'll kill myself. You need me, right? That means, I'm in charge"
Chloe looks at the brunette worried then Marcus laughs gaining her attention.
"Oh my god. I like you. We're gonna have so much fun together. Alright Chloe, you can go"
Chloe stays there and Beca turns to look at the redhead. "What are you doing? Leave"
Chloe shakes her head "I'm not leaving you-"
"Yes you are, I'm gonna use my powers if you don't leave now and-"
"Take him!" The eight members of the Council in the stage from the backstage, the people from the audience disappear.
Marcus locks his eyes with Beca's and that's when the brunette realizes that it's done. They fell in their trap.
Stephen and Nicholas appear behind Beca and Chloe they try to take Beca but a bubble is formed around the brunette when they touch her.
"What the…"
Beca takes advantage of that and throws them away. She takes Chloe's hand and starts running.
Bumper and Luke stops them "Where are you going? Steph! They're here"
Again, Stephen and Nicholas are in front of them. Beca turns her head to look back. The Council is fighting with copies of the Destructors. She sees Stacie, Alex and Megan. She has to go with the destructors. They're too powerful and a step ahead.
"Alright, I'll come with you but leave the other alone"
"They attacked us" Marcus appears too.
"Where are Beca and Chloe?" Stacie asks Megan.
"I don't know" the woman says punching Stephen's copy. Then she flies up and spots them. She freezes.
"They're there! Go!" Megan screams pointing towards the Destructors.
Marcus hears Megan and quickly takes Beca's hand, but again, the bubble doesn't let him. He tries to compel her but it's like his powers aren't working on her.
"Apparently they don't want us to take you today. Well then, we'll take the redhead"
"No!" Beca uses her powers to block them. She fights with all three and manages to keep them away. But Bumper and Luke take Chloe. She tries to stop them but it's too late. Marcus, Stephen and Nicholas reach them.
"Beca!"
"Find us Adamas and come alone without your Council's bubble. You have three days or she's dead and we'll send her piece by piece"
"Chloe! No!" Beca screams running towards them, hitting Bumper and Luke, but the destructors quickly disappear.
They're gone.
Chloe's gone.