Author note: Blah, blah, blah, here's your lovely chapter.

I rose slowly from the ground, eyeing Ned. He just stood there with a grin, as if mocking me; laughing at me.

"I have to say," he began, walking closer, "you really surprised me."

I let out a sharp breath, ready to rip him into shreds any second now.

"You've already lost," I hissed.

"You think so?" he asked, amused.

I furrowed my eyebrows, keeping a close eye on the people surrounding us. "You're sick!" I snapped.

"Maybe so," he said. "Ladies and gentlemen I would like to introduce to you Anomie Parker, a strong, smart girl at my school. But I have recently just found out the truth about this girl; the truth that could ruin her forever…"

My eyes grew wide in horror and Daniel grabbed hold of me, not wanting to be apart any longer. "Shut up," I said, venom leaking from my voice like rain.

"I would like to take this time to introduce you to the real Anomie Parker…"

"Stop it," I said again, stepping closer dangerously.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said, holding his hand out towards me, "Eve Carter."

Gasps came from all over; shocked expressions plastered to their faces. "Officers…take her away," Ned ordered.

I leaped forward towards Ned as the cops grabbed my arms tightly. I struggled beneath their grasp, trying to pull away.

"No!" Daniel exclaimed, running forward and banging his fists against a cop's leg. "Don't take her away from me again!"

My friends jumped into action, trying to pry the cops away from me. Spot, on the other hand, stood speechless, staring ahead like he was dazed.

"Let her go!" Cadince screamed, reaching for my hand.

"You guys," Erica said, stepping back.

"Erica, help!" Stephen exclaimed, looking back at her.

He let go of the cop slowly, staring at Erica. "Cadince," he said, tapping her arm.

Cadince turned around and the chaos stopped. Erica held her hands to her head, squinting in pain. She began to groan, and then muffled cries escaped her throat.

"Erica," I said in almost a whisper.

She fell to the ground almost in slow motion. "Erica!" I screamed, immediately running from the cop's loose grasp and dropping to my knees beside my friend.

She was squirming in pain, twitching and crying. "Stay still," I demanded, trying to get her to calm down.

"Help," she said, grabbing my arm and looking straight into my eyes. "Make it stop!"

Stephen was instantly on the other side, just as confused as I was.

"Don't just stand there, get some help!" I yelled at the cops, staring like it was a show.

"Hold on Erica," I said. "Just hold on."

"What's happening?" Blade screamed, dropping beside Stephen to try and keep Erica calm.

"Help me!" Erica screamed.

I turned my gaze to Ned. "What's happening?"

He merely shrugged, lying to the public.

Cadince and Jack were soon joining us, and Daniel did too.

I placed my hand under Erica's head and my other on her arm. "Stop moving, Erica," I tried saying over her screams. "Just calm down."

Tears streaked down her face, and her cries were terrifying. Her fists were balled up tightly, her nails cutting deeply into her skin, causing blood to leak freely from the wounds.

"Anomie, help me," Erica begged, looking back at me. "Please!"

I lowered my head, for once in my life having nothing to do to save my friend.

"Anomie, do something!" Stephen said.

"What can I do?" I screamed.

"I don't know; you're a miracle worker!"

I wanted to wipe away the tears that escaped from my eyes, but the flow was too strong. I grabbed Erica's hand and turned her face to me. "Listen, Erica," I said, "everything is gonna be alright. It'll all end soon, and you'll feel better. Just hang in there."

In the crowd, a familiar face tore my nerves. My father stood beside Ana, staring at the scene like he didn't know me.

Erica squeezed my hand tightly, her blood transferring to my hand. Finally she stopped. Her screaming ceased and she became motionless.

"Erica?" I said, looking down at her confusedly. "Erica?"

Everybody began to move away, but Stephen and I stayed. The tight grip Erica held loosened and her hand fell. "Erica?" I said, more urgently, shaking her.

"Wake up!" I demanded. "Damn it, Erica, I said wake up!"

Stephen lay his head down upon her stomach, his crying echoing in my ears. The world stopped moving and time stood still as my friends dropped their heads in sorrow.

"Don't do this!" I screamed, banging on her chest. "Wake up!"

I looked at her face to see if she had awakened, but she hadn't. "Wake up, wake up, wake up-"

"Anomie, stop," Cadince said, dropping down beside me, pulling my fists away from Erica.

She pulled me into a hug as I laid my head down on her shoulder; doing the one thing I knew nothing about – cry. The clouds – showing no sign of remorse – wept the loss of a close friend.

"I am dearly sorry for your loss," Ned said, his voice bringing an unknown rage inside of me.

The thirst for murder washed over me completely, a feeling I hadn't felt in such a long time. I had to be drenched in his blood, for the sake of my sanity. I had to be superior, and let this feeling get the best of me. I had to get revenge, for the antidote I injected into Erica was a fake. Of all people who had to get it, it had to be her, the good one.

I instantly pulled away from Cadince's embrace and was on my feet in no time. The look upon my face brought fear to all, as my gaze bore straight into Ned Neeley.

"You goddamn son of a bitch," I said in a voice I didn't know I possessed.

"Those are some intense words, Anomie," Ned said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"And it's a shame you won't get to hear them any longer," I said.

Ned stared at me coldly, and suddenly stepped back. His eyes grew to the size of apples as he brought his hands to his head.

"Check your arm, Ned," I said in a devilish voice.

Ned immediately pulled his sleeve up to view the blue poison spreading throughout his arm.

"It's funny what you find out when you spy on others," I said, stepping closer to him.

"I won't let you win!" he said, pain leaking from his voice.

"I already have," I told him. "Because when you injected the poison in me, I injected it into you. Only, you never noticed…because you don't feel a thing."

I brought a knife out and slashed Ned across the face, watching him stumble back. "The poison will eat your insides, just like it did to Erica."

I slashed his face again, humored to see him fear me. He fell to his knees, and began to scurry away. The crowd parted slightly as he moved towards them, but parted even more once I moved forward.

I brought my foot into his back and he fell onto his stomach. "But the thing is, Ned, you were injected with a different poison."

I sent a kick to his ribs, listening to him moan in pain. "It'll make you suffer longer, that way I can give you back the pain you caused me."

I kicked him again and he turned over to his back. The crowd – the cops included – stared, watching the work of Eve Carter.

"Searching through dead bodies, running through a damp forest from mad dogs, being locked in a room of raging fire, this is the pain you caused us!" I kicked him again, his groaning music to my ears.

"For five years you kept me locked up in that damn hell hole like it was a prison…" I bent down beside his head, making him stare me in the eyes. "You always told me you were waiting for a person to come. A person that could outsmart you; well Ned, you've found her. Don't you wish now that you were a bit nicer?"

"You deserved…everything," he said hoarsely.

I narrowed my eyes. "Let's get started, shall we?"

I brought my foot roughly into his ribs. "That's for keeping me away from my brother for five years!"

I kept going on and on, kicking him until his ribs were fully broken, naming off things he owed me for.

And this," I said, placing my blade on his neck, "is for Erica."

"Anomie, stop!" Cadince said, running up beside me.

I gave her an odd look, just now remembering we had an audience. "You're stopping me?" I asked.

"Yeah," she said. "Let the poison finish him off. It's more painful." She sent a kick to his side, a proud look on her face.

I stepped back to examine my work, satisfied with the outcome. "Thanks for the times, Ned," I said, saluting his dying body.

My eyes then fell on my father, standing horrified in the crowd. He met my eyes, and fear washed over him. "Start running," I said to him slowly.

In the blink of an eye he was running down the street, leaving Ana behind. I smirked and turned around facing my friends. Stephen, who was still beside Erica's body, rose to his feet. "We're free?" he asked.

"We're free," I said.

Cheers came from all over, but not from the audience around us. Students from the rooftops of shops showed their faces, cheering and screaming to the top of their lungs. Some were crying, and others were nearly fainting.

"Great work, Nomes," Trey said, appearing out of nowhere. "It had nothing to do with the plan, but it was a hell of a show. You are a true leader."

I laughed and gave him a short hug, and was immediately surrounded by excited and thankful students, nearly knocking me over with hugs. I looked out into the crowd. My face fell as I watched Spot turn around, beginning to walk away.

"Move," I said, pushing people out of my way. I didn't even stay to watch as Trey and the others lit Ned's body on fire.

"Spot!" I called, jogging to catch up with the Brooklyn leader I fell in love with.

He stopped and turned around, his expression angry and hurt.

"What's wrong?" I asked, frowning.

"You lied to me, Anomie," he said. "Wait, I mean Eve."

"Don't call me that," I said.

"But that's who you are, right? Eve, da most wanted moiderer in all of America."

I bit my lip, and looked away briefly. "I know, I lied to you, but I couldn't tell you."

Spot shook his head. "It doesn't mattah," he said. "I'm leavin."

And with that I watched him walk away, not even glancing back. I stood with a broken heart, not able to run after him to mend it for me. Because, like Ned said not too long ago, I was meant to be alone.

Author note: It's not over yet, so wait for the next chapter. Anyways, I'm going on vacation Saturday to Saint Augustine in Florida, and I'll be gone for a week. Maybe I can think up another Newsies story to write next. Tah tah!