Part 34
Harper's POV
It was the fight of the century. A battle that seemed like no one could win. 3 different fighting
styles all coming together to create this chaos of blood and wires and pain. I breathed heavily
with my back against the wall down the hall so far that I could no longer make out the fight. I
gazed at my injured leg...I put pressure on the wound but the blood still flowed thick and sticky
coating my hands. It had gone straight through my thigh, in one end and out the other. There was
so much blood…to much blood and no way for me to stop it. I looked down the corridor at the
hazy blobs of movement…my eyes wouldn't focus anymore but I could hear that the fight wasn't
over yet…they were still fighting for there lives. I had panicked…I had ran away when they
needed me. I let my instincts take control, the voice in my head shouting for me to get away, to
run, to escape. But now my instincts told me that I had to do something, I had to stop this or I'd
never be able to live with the knowledge that I left my friends, the people I loved when they
needed me the most. The sight of beka hobbling out of the med deck to help reminded me of
this…reminded me of what friendship meant, what love meant. She was in no condition to fight
but she went out there anyway and that's what I'm gonna have to do! I could hear the cries of
pain and grunts of strain coming from them…I cried out but I couldn't' be heard over the scuffle.
I love these women…but how can I save them? I wanted to cry but I sucked up. I clutched the
wall and pulled myself up cringing at the pain that coursed up my spine and out my fingertips. I
whimpered leaning heavily on the wall taking a short breather and holding back the urge to
vomit. I paced down the corridor. One foot after the other…slowly making my way to the
scuffle…slowly making my way to my death but I'd make a point before I died! I had to stop this
and maybe…maybe they'll listen. I had to try. My bloody hand slid along the wall leaving a
dripping trail. I felt tired and worn, cold and confused. The corridor seemed long but the shapes
before me slowly came into focus…I kept going feeling like I weighted a ton, I could see pretty
well know through my pain glazed eyes. Trance stood over a motionless beka, her body limp and
sweat soaked on the solid blue floor…My eyes scanned further to see Rommie, my Rommie
laying damaged against the wall sparking and repeating the same words over and over that
sounded like a plea for help. I was too late! I staggered in disbelief, letting my eyes well up with
tears. The scene was tragic, something out of a horror vid. I heard a moan and diverted my
attention to the gorgonite who was clutching his ankle, green sludge oozed from between his
fingers. He rocked back and forth in agony sputtering and spitting at the pain. Trance looked
back at me and I looked at her in utter horror, utter disbelief and shame.
"Trance…god trance…why?" I said looking at my fallen friends, this sad battle ground. A tear
ran down my face. I didn't even know if Beka was still alive…whether I could ever get rommie
working again. They might have fallen to Trance…betrayed by a close friend. Never could I have
imagined she could be so cruel. She stepped toward me but I stepped back in disgust. I wasn't
afraid of her anymore…I had to make a stand but I was disgusted by her actions…How could
she? Her face was soft but soon tightened up when I backed away.
"They asked for it!" She screamed but something inside of her was unstable. I could see it…her
eyes shifted as if she didn't even believe her own words but her body language still spoke to her
dangerousness.
"Trance please…what do you want? What are you trying to accomplish! How does killing your
friends help the universe?!" I spat at her. My legs wobbled at the loss of blood but I tried to stand
firm. I wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer…I could feel my life draining away with
the blood dripping down my leg. I had to say what I needed to say before I passed out and lost my
nerve.
"You can't be trance…"
"I am Trance! A better Trance a more efficient Trance!" She said, as if she was trying to get me
to just understand, but I couldn't understand this…how was this more efficient? She was a killer,
no better then any of the other villains we had stopped who were seeking the same thing she was
a better universe…ha…a universe that bowed before them…that's what they wanted and they
tried to get it by any means necessary, even if it meant killing there friends.
"No! You can't be Trance because you have killed everything she has ever stood for!" I shuffled
over to the red hot demon. Stopping every few steps to find my bearings. Trance stood, her chest
heaving with emotion. Watching me hobble and looking like at any second she might run away
from me. She looked like she couldn't stand to see me.
"I'm Trance, like it or not." She said firmly tapping her boots and letting her blades sink back
into the toe of her shoes when she looked at my bloody hand covering the deep gash in my thigh.
"No I don't like it…and I don't think you do either." I said. I was close…close enough to see that
she was severly wounded. She leaked blood the same color as her skin but she seemed
unaffected. Her shoulders sagged and she looked at me with wide eyes…anger still flowing in
them but the fire wasn't as bright anymore.
"You can make a difference without all of this! You know that! Trance always knew that! You
say your trance but if you are then I don't want to know you…if this is what you've become then
just kill me now!" I was in her face now…I lifted her arm and placed the bloody blade she had in
her hand against my neck. She clutched it tight and snarled pressing it deeper into my flesh and I
swallowed hard…I gazed in her eyes intently both of us frowning and staring at each other in the
silence of the hallway.
"GO AHEAD! DO IT! YOU WERE SO EAGAR BEFORE! WHAT'S DIFFERENT NOW!
WHAT'S CHANGED! DO IT!" I said jerking her arm forcefully but she pulled against me. That
was a good sign…a very good sign.
"I don't want to kill you Harper…I was bluffing before…I wouldn't hurt you. But stay out of my
way!" she said screaming at the end giving me a shove that at any other time wouldn't have even
made me stumble but in my condition I could feel myself falling backward. She grabbed my shirt
with a worried look on her face and her eyes panned down to my wounded leg. She reached out
to examine the wound feeling responsible…I could see a glimmer of guilt but I quickly grabbed
her hand.
"I can't do that…you know I can't because I love you. If you want me out of your way…if you
want me to just turn my back and let you smear trances name...let you smear your own name at
some misguided attempt to right the universe…well then you should just kill me now because I'll
never stop trying to get through to you."
"I have to do this harper…I won't kill you…but I won't stop either." She said letting go of my
shirt and letting me fall limply on the ground. My breathing was ragged, I needed to stop the
bleeding, my vision blurred…she picked up the wounded gorgonyte and walked over to med
deck she disappeared for a short time and I crawled over to beka. I made it to her and checked her
pulse she was still alive and I had never been so happy in my life…Maybe trance didn't want to
kill her, she had her chance but didn't' take it. I could hear Trances boots coming back…she
stepped over me and squatted down in front of beka.
"Stop!" I said but she didn't listen, she continued to move. I looked around finding Beka's force
lance I shot off a warning shot and then stumbled once again to my feet with the last ounce of
strength I had left. She stilled and spoke without turning around with beka laying limp in her
arms.
"You know that you can't kill me…just as much as I can't kill you." She said and I gritted my
teeth…could I do it? Could I?...She finally turned and looked at my pale, clammy face and the
puddle of blood on the floor…my vision turned into tunnel vision...and I swayed.
"You already killed me Trance." I said breathily and my legs gave out and my eyes closed…the
last image they captured was trance reaching out for me…