Chapter 35- The Almighty V

Sam had to park three blocks from the V-town Centre. Unless V-town was formed longer ago than she thought, they must have been working overtime at recruiting members.

The logo on the building was the letter V in the shape of fire with the word Town in smaller font running horizontal through it. Sam took a deep breath and walked inside. Music boomed down the hallway. When she entered the auditorium, it was as if walking into a rock concert. One of the musicians played his electric guitar like a machine gun, and the drummer's beat steadily grew louder and louder. Moving orange lights resembling fire flew up and down the stage. Words on the large screen displayed the lyrics and they repeated the chorus:

Rise, oh rise Almighty V

We shall bow and worship thee!

Take out the churches, take out the pride

It is with your Order we will abide!

90% of the audience had to be 25 or younger, majority of whom raised their hands jumping up and down. Sam's eyes grew wide as she spotted Maxie somewhere in the middle, clapping a little but looking unsure. At the far back was Spencer, Trina, and Emma. Emma looked white as a ghost, the whites of her eyes wide. She turned and saw Sam.

Sam made her way over to them.

"Sam, this is scaring me…" Emma said with a little whine to her voice.

Spencer and Trina sang along, not noticing Sam.

"You need to get out of here," Sam said.

"I can't leave my friends," Emma said.

"Spencer! Trina!" Sam scream whispered.

They turned to her.

"All of you, get of here. Run and don't look back. Go home or somewhere safe."

Trina scrunched her face, then turned back to the stage and continued singing.

Spencer shook his head. "This is the new popular thing, Sam. We're not leaving."

"You're not safe here."

"Please," Emma begged him. "I want to go home."

"We're not leaving," Spencer said. "He's going to reveal himself soon."

Sam sighed when the music faded but everyone continued to stand. The musicians cleared the stage and Harmony took the microphone and Alessandro and Francesco stood on either side of her.

"Hello, and welcome to V-TOWN!" Harmony shouted.

The audience cheered loudly.

"It is with my deepest pride to introduce to you the All-Knowing V's messengers. Messenger Francesco and Messenger Alessandro."

Everyone clapped.

"The children are off at V-Kids, and we already have a Renewing of Your Mind Class happening right now." Harmony beamed proudly.

Sam scanned the room taking in a few more familiar faces: Michael, Morgan, Chase, Nina, Liesl Obrecht (which surprised Sam!), Brad, Nurse Amy, and Valerie. But no sign of Willow.

She turned back to Emma whose chest was moving up and down fast.

"But now…" Harmony grinned even wider. "It is with the utmost honour and pleasure for me to introduce you to the Great, All-Knowing, All-Loving, Ever-Present, ALMIGHTY V!"

Boom! Smoke enveloped the stage and the audience went wild. The young adults and teens jumped up and down, balling their eyes out as the smoke started to clear and a spotlight landed on Valentin Cassadine standing in the middle of the stage, with images of his face on the walls and the ceiling.

Harmony along with a few others fainted at the sight of him. Spencer's face paled and Emma, now crying, fled from the auditorium with several others.

Valentin grinned and practically glided along stage as he spoke into his headset microphone. "Good evening."

Many girls screamed and tears streamed down their cheeks as they reached their arms out to him from afar.

"I am the Almighty V."

More cheers and jumping up and down. Harmony finally sat up on stage and gazed dreamily at Valentin.

He reached a hand out to her and she took it. He slowly helped her to her feet. Her hand shaking, she touched his suit jacket and let out a deep sigh.

He let go of her and turned to the audience. "Port Charles is in trouble. The older generations are misguided and narrow-minded. It is up to the next generation, the chosen ones, to bring order and peace to our new town—V-town."

Cheers erupted in the room once more.

"And any who try to fight our peace will be flushed out."

"Spencer. Trina. Get out of here now," Sam scream whispered to them, but Trina was entranced by Valentin.

Spencer clenched his hands into fists. "I need to hear his plans so I can stop him."

"V-Town will bring equality and a socialist society. Freedom for all who want it."

"We want it!" several people shouted.

About a dozen people raced to the back of the room, hastening to leave.

Valentin sighed. "Not all want the freedom of V-Town." He looked down at Michael, Morgan, and Chase. "Take them to the Flushing Room."

The three men rose and charged after the escapees.

"Now," Valentin said. "All who do want freedom may form a line at the back of the auditorium to join our next Renewing of the Mind Class."

Everyone clustered to the back, tripping and knocking each other over. Certain that Willow wasn't there, Sam pushed her way through the crowd. Francesco and Alessandro led the chaotic non-existent line of people through the hallway. They passed several rooms with people sitting around with black devices over their heads, including Sasha. In one room, Peter August paced back and forth observing the people under the devices, in another room, Dr. Cabot pushed a syringe into someone's arm as she laid on a stretcher. The next room, Nelle stood there surrounded by children as she preached the Powerful V to them. Charlotte sat up high on a golden chair resembling a throne, looking terrified. On either side of her sat the five Marchesi grandchildren—Matteo, Luca, Raphaele, and another boy and a girl Sam hadn't met yet.

Screams drew Sam's attention to the closed door at the end of the hallway with a sign saying, The Flushing Room.

"Sam!"

Sam whipped her head around and saw Jax pushing through the crowd.

"Have you seen Josslyn?" he asked out of breath. "She texted me saying she'd be here with her friends! I have to get her out of here!"

More screams stung at Sam's eardrums even over the voices echoing through the hallway. "I haven't! I—I'm gonna check in here!" She pushed open The Flushing Room door. Three nurses stood around as a couple dozen people were lying on the floor, half of them convulsing including Willow.

"No!" Sam dropped beside Willow. "What is wrong with you people?" She shouted at the nurses.

"We need to get Messenger Francesco or Alessandro!" one of the nurse's said.

Willow finally stopped seizing and laid there unconscious. Sam tried lifting her under her arms.

Jax darted into the doorway searching frantically for Josslyn.

"Jax, help me!" Sam yelled at him. "I can't lift her!"

"I need to find Josslyn!"

"I didn't see her! I saw Spencer, Emma, and Trina. She and Cameron would probably be with them! Maybe they changed their minds and didn't come! Please, help me!"

"But my daughter!"

"Willow is your daughter too!" she choked up. "It's not Nelle. Willow is our daughter, please! I just found out! Help me!"

Jax's mouth dropped slightly and the colour drained from his cheeks.

"Jax, please! At least carry her out of the building and come back to look for Josslyn. Please!"

Jax hurried over and lifted Willow in his arms.

Sam exhaled deeply and she followed out to the crowded hallway. They pushed their way through leaving behind more screams and loud voices and they powered out of the V-Town Centre. Cameron and Josslyn were standing by the road comforting a crying Emma

"We should have listened to you Cam," Emma said.

"Joss, you're okay!" Jax said as he and Sam hurried over to them.

"Cam talked me out of it," Josslyn said.

"Yeah well," Cam said. "Nelle's name was in the brochure, so I knew it was bad news."

"We have to get Willow to the hospital!" Sam shouted.

"Joss, take my car keys," Jax said. "Take yourself and your friends somewhere safe. We'll take your car, Sam. It'll be faster than an ambulance making its way through this traffic."

"But Spencer and Trina…" Emma said. "We can't leave them."

"Emma, you need to focus on getting yourself out of here," Jax said. "Even Sam and I had trouble getting through that crowd."

"Okay, we have to get her to the hospital!" Sam cut in. "Hurry!"

Sam and Jax parted with Cameron, Josslyn, and Emma and made their way to Sam's car. She hoped more than anything that they weren't too late.