Hey! Thanks for all the reviews! They made my day! Here is chapter ten. WARNING: Some brief language… It is rated T after all.
Review and enjoy,
-GoneLoverMM
Chapter Ten
Diana
The day had finally come. Diana didn't know how much longer she could take of this. Her stomach was like a small mountain and she was very uncomfortable. She wasn't very happy with their plan, but she knew it would work. She didn't want to have to walk to the gaiaphage and set off the missile, but the logic was sound.
A group of them set out early that morning. It was dark, but then again it always was. They all loaded into a large minivan. Edilio drove, and Diana was courteously given shotgun. Caine, Lana, Brianna, Dekka, Astrid and three of Edilio's soldiers crammed into the back. Diana could see Caine's face in the mirror, and he didn't look pleased about being in the back with a million other people. She smiled to herself. Of course he wasn't.
Edilio drove fairly quickly, so they made it there in record time. Diana could feel its' presence the closer they got, everybody could. Lana's face had grown hard and grim and everybody else looked kind of queasy. They couldn't get any closer with the car, so they would have to go on foot for a couple hundred feet.
It wasn't that far for the average person, but it seemed like a marathon for Diana. When they were halfway there, Caine used his power and sort of scooped her up. If it had been any other day, she would have complained and demanded that he put her down. She hated it when he did things like this because it made her seem weak. However, she let it slide… just this once.
The walk was smooth after that. They were standing in the mouth of the cave now, just waiting fro someone to do something.
"We're here." Sam said flatly.
"No shit, Sherlock." Diana said. Everyone laughed awkwardly. No one was really in a laughing mood after all.
Sam continued, ignoring Diana's comment. "Are you ready?" He asked her.
She bobbed her head, not fully trusting her voice.
"Okay," Sam said, "We'll give everybody a moment to get ready."
Diana knew they didn't really have to prepare. Sam was just giving her and Caine some time alone. The two of them sort of wandered off from the group out of hearing range. They stood there in silence for a few moments.
"I really do love you, you know." Caine said looking down at his feet.
"Oh." Diana said, shocked.
"You can ask Toto if you want," Caine said, "I know he'll say yes. I'm sure this time, I really am."
He looked up at her then. There it was! She saw something there in his eyes. It was something other than fury or fear. It was a genuine human emotion. That or he was a damn good actor. However, he didn't really need anything from her anymore. After all, she was already pregnant. When Diana didn't respond right away, Caine started biting his thumb. It was a nervous habit that Diana had always secretly adored even though she told him that she hated it.
"I know." Diana said simply.
Caine still had his thumb in his mouth, not fully believing her. "Really?" He said in disbelief.
"Yes," Diana said, "Diana Ladris loves Caine Soren, and he loves her back."
Caine smiled with all of his old charm and Diana smiled back. Caine was still chewing on his thumbnail. Apparently this whole conversation had made him a nervous wreck.
"Take your thumb out of your mouth." Diana said.
"Why?" Caine said with his usual amount of defensiveness. He hated being told what to do, but he would usually take orders from her.
"Because I can't kiss you if you have your thumb in your mouth."
Sam
The couple returned a few minutes later. Both were smiling private smiles. Sam didn't even want to know what had happened.
"Alright," Sam said, "See you in a few, Diana."
"Okay." She said.
"Here's the missile," Jack said handing it to her, "All you have to do is flip this switch and run like hell."
Diana smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. "And that is why they call you Computer Jack."
Computer Jack turned away kind of flustered and red cheeked. Brianna was frowning.
"If anything seems off," Caine began, "Come right out."
"Yes, yes, of course." Diana said as she gave him one last kiss on the lips. Sam was glad they kept it PG. His stomach was already kind of queasy.
Diana lowered herself into the mouth of the cave and disappeared.
Diana
It was several degrees cooler inside the cave. Diana felt the chill go all the way to her bones. Her baby kicked inside of her.
"It's okay baby," She cooed, "This will be all over soon."
Diana could see the faint green glow up ahead. It grew stronger the closer she got. She could feel its presence there. Reaching through her mind. Riffling through her most personal thoughts. She felt violated.
You have brought the Pure Light
It said over and over until it became a shrieking frenzy. Diana tried to cover her ears, but that didn't help. The sound was coming from inside her mind. Diana could see it now, the gaiaphage. Its presence was almost too strong for her to bear. She could barely stay standing and breathing deeply was a struggle.
Place your hand against me, child
The Darkness commanded. Diana felt it pulling her towards it, she wanted to give in a touch it, but she remembered that she had a purpose her today. No. She thought strongly. I am Diana Ladris and this is my baby. It does not belong to you. She remembered the missile in her hand. She had been trying not to think about it because she didn't want to tip it off.
Drake
The Darkness called and Diana froze. She would never make it out now. Even when she wasn't pregnant Drake was faster than her. Even if she set the missile off, she wouldn't make it out of here. They hadn't thought of this scenario in the plan!
Drake was there in a moment. She was trying to hide the shaking. She couldn't appear weak. She felt the edge of his tentacle caress her cheek. She had to swallow down the bile that rose from her stomach.
"Well, well, well," Drake said, "I see Caine finally knocked you up."
Diana didn't respond. There was nothing she could say. You could kill the immortal. That's when she remembered that Drake only inhabited the body for half the time. The other half of the time Brittney lived inside of it. All she had to do was stall. Eventually Drake, the menacing and sick-minded boy, would turn into Brittney, the religious pimply-faced girl.
"So Drake," Diana said, "Does it keep you on a leash? You know, your Master."
She felt the edge of his whip against her face, lightly, a warning. It didn't actually draw blood. After all, he couldn't kill her because his Master had forbidden him. He didn't answer, so Diana continued.
"Sorry, did I offend you? Is the thing a he or an it? You tell me." Diana said.
She could feel Drake's heavy, frustrated breathing on her neck. Time for the grand finale.
"Hey Drake," She said, "Do you think the gaiaphage knows that its' precious little follower peed himself after Sam burned off his arm?"
"Why you –" He began.
Diana closed her eyes, anticipating the stinging lash from the whip, but it never came. She opened her eyes and there stood Brittney. Diana wanted to cry with relief. Her plan had worked! All she had to do now was find that switch…
It was dark inside the cave, pitch black. The only light emanated from the gaiaphage itself, but she didn't want to get any closer. She fumbled around in the dark for a few seconds too long.
No
The Darkness commanded
You will not do that
"You can't tell me what to do," Diana said aloud, "Even Caine doesn't tell me what to do."
She was trying to buy more time. There it was! She felt the plastic switch under her finger. However, the gaiaphage knew too. Diana became immobilized with pain. She fell shrieking to the ground. She writhed on the floor of the cave in agony. Her head felt like it was splintering apart.
No, I must have the Pure Light
The gaiaphage said. Diana closed her eyes and cried. The pain in her head was horrific, but then a pain in her stomach joined it. This made even simple thoughts unmanageable. Diana forced herself to open her eyes and look, even though she didn't want to.
She looked down at her stomach and shrieked. Billions of tiny green crystals covered her stomach, each of them moving quickly and efficiently. It felt like she was being stabbed by billions of razor sharp needles. She screamed her loudest.
"Caine!" She called. "Help me! Please help me!" She cried into the darkness. She didn't know if he could hear her, but she was desperate.
The crystals, which kind of resembled insects, were chewing away at her stomach. They were getting this baby out one way or the other, and Diana was going to die.
"Caine…" She called, but weaker this time.
The edges of her vision were fading, leaving behind darkness. Her heart was still beating, but she was losing herself.
"Ca—"
She said not even able to get the whole word out. She felt her lids grow heavy and her eyes started to close. The last thing she was Caine's face. She heard one clear, piercing cry, and then her world went black.