Chapter 14
Famous Last Words
Now I know
That I can't make you stay
But where's your heart
But where's your heart
But where's your...
We raced along the corridor, going through doors. "Shouldn't you be armed?" I said, panting, to Thor. He shrugged, and said, "Can you run?"
"Aren't I running now?"
And I know
There's nothing I could say
To change that part
To change that part
To change...
Finally, we reached another door. The man in front of me stopped suddenly, and I cannoned into him, but to give him credit, he didn't groan or anything. "Be ready to kill the guards," the Professor said. The men spread out next the door, guns ready. I took out a pistol and winked at Thor, who looked baffled. Apparently, he was unarmed.
The Professor placed his hand on a blue screen, and the door opened. To our surprise, the guards were already dead. "These are the guards for this passage," the Professor said in awe. "What happened to them?"
So many
Bright lights been cast a shadow
But can I speak?
Well is it hard understanding
I'm incomplete
We went in further, and saw plant stems and roots draped everywhere. "You got your answer," I said wryly, pointing to the plants.
Just then, the ground shook beneath our feet. A pair of Varacona jaws popped up, and snapped up a man. Then, it disappeared.
"Varaconas!" Thor yelled. He grabbed a machine gun from the nearest guard, and said, "I'll take care of this!" He pulled out a grenade, pulled the hatch out with his teeth, and threw it down the hole the Varacona made. We took several steps back, and I 'borrowed' a machine gun from another guard. The bomb exploded. We waited.
The Varcona screeched as it jumped up and landed square in front of Thor. "Third, cover me!" Thor yelled, running forward.
"It's Heiza!" Third yelled back, shooting. Even though Thor hadn't asked me to help, I did, shooting at the Varacona until it turned to us. Thor jumped on its back, and used his gun to shoot the weird eye-like part on its back. The Varacona screeched again, and died. I heard murmurs of "He really is the Jyu-Oh" all around me. Thor was breathing hard, but his face was filled with triumph.
A life that's so demanding
I get so weak
And all their souls are burning
I can't speak
"We should be safe now," Thor said. "No other plant life can live with a Varacona around."
"There's another danger," Heiza murmured.
Thor looked confused, then his face fell. "The Jyu-Oh."
No sooner had he said that, the lights went out. "Oh, boy. A good game of 'lets chase' with the Jyu-Oh in the dark," I muttered, tossing the machine gun back to its owner and pulling out my pistol again. "This is going to be such fun."
We waited tensely for the Jyu-Oh to come. We heard a scream, and knew that one of our men were caught. The man who I 'borrowed' the gun from panicked and began to shoot around him blindly. One of his bullets caught my side, and I hissed in pain.
"Don't shoot! You'll hurt your own men!" Heiza called. He must have heard me.
I looked around for Thor, and saw him staring dumbly at a Jyu-Oh, crouched over the Professor. The Jyu-Oh reached out, and I shot at his back. Thor looked at me, bewildered. "Take the Professor and go!" I snapped.
"You go too, Zia," Heiza said to me. I turned to him. "But…"
"No buts. Listen to your father. Take care of them. Go."
I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven
Nothing you can say can stop me going home
I nodded, and dashed after Thor and the Professor. We reached the room with all the Jyu-Oh. I gasped, and walked forward to see them up close. "Jyu-Oh," Thor said softly. They all had the same build; big and lots of muscles. I didn't look from waist down, because I knew that they were naked.
"They're reviving them," Heiza murmured. Thor pulled out his gun suddenly and shot all of the Jyu-Oh. The glass which held them shattered.
"Stop it!" the Professor yelled, grabbing Thor's arm. "They're very important specimens! And they're still alive!" He looked shocked suddenly, and Thor punched him on the cheek.
"You call them still alive?" Thor demanded angrily. "They're already dead!" He threw his gun at the Professor. "These men were all Jyu-Oh!" I stood in front of him. "Thor, stop it," I told him quietly. His gaze was hard and angry, filled with fire, and I flinched. He pushed me aside. He added something that sounded like, "And they are part of me, too."
Heiza looked at Thor in amazement, and I picked myself up, then went to the Professor, offering him my hand. I pulled him up, then turned to Thor.
"Thor, you're making a fool out of yourself," I said to him quietly.
"You're impressed with a lie!" Heiza snapped at Thor.
"What are you doing for humanity here?" Thor shouted.
Then, the light changed into a picture of the Balkan system. "Thor," a voice said.
"My mother!" Thor gasped. I looked around.
"Eva?" The Professor looked around eagerly.
Can you see
My eyes are shining bright
Cause I'm out here
On the other side
Of the jet black hotel mirror
"Thor," the voice of Eva said again. "The planet we all wish to live in, the planet Earth, has been destroyed."
I saw Heiza's face change into shock. "No…" he breathed. He fell to his knees.
"Father!" I ran to him, and looked at him. Then, I heard some shooting, and Eva's voice disappeared. I looked behind me and saw Thor making his way over to Heiza. "Heiza," Thor said, going to him. I went out of his way. "Stand up."
Heiza did nothing.
Thor went on, muttering things to Heiza. I caught snatches of what he said. "… like…home… gone… Chimera…"
"You're like a spoiled child!" Thor grabbed his forehead and glared at him. "You told me to come here, and I listened to you!" with that, Thor left. I dithered, unsure of what to do, when one of the men gestured me to follow Thor and the Professor. We went to the control room.
And I'm so weak
Is it hard understanding
I'm incomplete
And all their souls are burning
I get weak
The Professor ran to the controls, and typed in something. Thor followed him while I looked at the blue light. "Oh, yes, and Ziann?" the Professor said, without looking at me.
"What?"
"You'll die when the ball reaches the center."
I mock-groaned to cover up panic. "Now you tell me." Thor looked at me worriedly, and I went to him. He wrapped one arm around me, and gave me a hug. "Don't worry," he said softly. "I'll take care of Chimera, and Heiza."
"Good," I said, muffled in his jacket. "I can't breathe."
"Oops, sorry," he said apologetically, letting me go. I smiled.
I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven
Nothing you can say can stop me going home
"Why would you risk your life for me?" Thor asked suddenly.
"What?" I looked at him, surprised.
"You know, the plan to kill the first Top, then you follow me to save Karim, then you fall with me and Karim down the crack, now you save me from the Jyu-Oh. Why?"
"Isn't it obvious?" the words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. I blushed and cast my eyes downwards.
I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven
Nothing you can say can stop me going home
He touched my cheek, and raised my chin so that he and I were eye to eye. I shivered. "Yet you said…"
"You can't always believe what people say," I replied bitterly, thinking of Third.
"I guess so." He smiled at me. I ripped off my necklace and gave it to him. "This was my mothers… keep it well."
He looked startled. "But…"
"You heard the Professor. I won't live long. Just keep it." He looked at it, then nodded, tucking it inside his pocket. Just then, the controls beeped. "What happened?" Thor asked.
These bright lights are
always blind to me
These bright lights are
always blind to me
I say
"The password doesn't work anymore!" The Professor typed in the password again, and the controls beeped again.
"Then we have to destroy it." Thor's voice was grim.
I see you lying next to me
With words I thought I'd never speak
Awake and unafraid
Asleep or dead
"You heard him." Heiza's voice startled me. He kept making us jump through his stealth. "Get ready!" All the men aimed for the controls.
"No, no! We'll never get out in time!" the Professor cried.
I see you lying next to me
With words I thought I'd never speak
Awake and unafraid
Asleep or dead
"We'll go to the roof. It'll take less than 20 minutes," Heiza replied.
"40 minutes, more like!" the Professor cried. He tried to stop them, but I tackled him to the ground, and winced with I landed on my leg. The men fired, and soon, the controls were nothing more than scraps. The blue light went out, and I stared in awe.
I see you lying next to me
With words I thought I'd never speak
Awake and unafraid
Asleep or dead
The place rumbled. "Let's get out of here!" Heiza yelled, and we ran upwards, to the roof.
…………………………..
I see you lying next to me
With words I thought I'd never speak
Awake and unafraid
Asleep or dead
The tunnel exploded behind us. Thor swore softly under his breath. "Let's get moving!" he yelled to us before jumping on the ladder. Heiza followed him, then the Professor. Then, a Varacona exploded out from the wall, devoured one man, and screeched. The Varacona turned to look at Thor. Its teeth bared open as it advanced nearer to him. Over my dead body!
I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven
Nothing you can say can stop me going home
I felt the Phoenix rise up in me, fragmenting my vision. So it was the necklace that kept me from changing! Understanding flowed through me. The Professor jumped down next to me, and I looked up at Thor. "Keep going! Don't stop!" I yelled. Thor looked at me, and nodded. Heiza and Thor continued their journey up.
I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven
Nothing you can say can stop me going home
I turned to look at the Professor. "Close it as soon as they're up there," I told him shortly. That was all I remembered before Phoenix took over my body and my mind.
I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven
Nothing you can say can stop me going home
……………………………
So… there you have it! The second last chapter. Second last, yes. There's another to come! Remember the ending?? Yes, that still has to come… sigh Okay, CYA next chapter!