Another intense chapter! Enjoy and don't forget to review! I'll hopefully only put out two more chapters, and then get started on my sequel. As always, leave me a review and let me know what you think!
Kali and Jane took their masks off, revealing devilish expressions.
"You saw us, yet, you didn't call security," Kali pointed out.
"Oh Eight. How naïve you still are. I have been keeping tabs on you, you know?" Brenner made a slow walk around his desk tauntingly. "Killing my men, tsk tsk. I thought I raised you better than that." He moved his attention to Jane. "And Eleven… My pride and joy. I have to admit, I was surprised to hear from my dear friend Ray that you were still alive," Brenner went on.
"How did you survive the attack?" Jane asked.
"It was a nasty bite," Papa explained. "But not fatal. Especially when you have friends in high places who will make sure you have the absolute best medical treatment. Even so, I thought for sure destroying that monster would kill you. I was very proud of you, though, Eleven. You are my most special creation."
"Don't," Jane said coldly, "call me Eleven. It's Jane." Brenner gave her a look with raised eyebrows.
"Very well then. Why have you two returned to me?" Brenner asked.
"We came to finish you," Kali spoke. "Okay Jane, are you ready?"
"Yes," Jane said.
"You wouldn't hurt your Papa," Brenner said, reading the slight hesitation on Jane's face. Jane looked at Kali who gave her an approving nod. Jane lowered her had and gave Brenner a glance, pushing him back into the wall, unable to move.
"Eleven, I am your home," Brenner started, trying desperately to move but the force of Jane's powers were keeping him restrained.
"No," she said, pushing him harder. Mike could hear ribs cracking and winced. Brenner was now gasping for breath.
"You've... grown... stronger," Papa muttered, gasping for breath.
"Don't do it too fast, I want to savor it," Kali whispered into Jane's ear. Mike's heart was racing. This wasn't right. Jane should not be enjoying this. He didn't have much time to think it over because suddenly, alarms started going off in the lab.
"They know we're here," Axel said.
"Hold them off," Kali said, not looking away from Dr. Brenner. "We aren't finished yet."
Axel, Funshine, and Dottie quickly loaded their weapons and pointed them at the closed door.
"You took Jane as a baby… So why me?" Kali asked. "Why take a child who had a mother… a family? Why me?" The hardened demeanor Kali usually had was cracking away, revealing a very broken girl.
"You…had…potential…" Brenner said, his ribs making it hard to talk.
"Yes," she agreed. "I did. Keep holding him Jane," Kali instructed. She pulled a knife from where it was clasped on her leg and waved it tauntingly near Brenner's face.
Footsteps could be heard from outside the door, and a lot of them. That was bad news. Suddenly the door was kicked down by about thirty men, all equipped with shields and guns. Mike skirted out of the way as the others shot at them aggressively. Several of the lab's men fell down, shot, but they were still out numbered. Mike and the others ran for cover.
"Kali, hurry up!" Axel shouted, ducking behind a file cabinet.
"Just a little longer," Kali said about to slit the doctor's throat.
That's when Jane heard it. A shot went off. Although there had already been several shots fired from both sides, this particular shot stood out to Jane. On instinct, she pulled Mike toward her and the bullet that was headed his way only grazed his side. Instantly, Mike felt the blow. It was definitely not fatal, thanks to Jane's interference. This all happened in a matter of seconds, but to Jane it felt like an eternity.
They. Hurt. Mike. Jane thought. "Enough!" she said forcefully. Every one of the lab men's necks suddenly snapped. Almost twenty five bodies fell to the floor, dead instantly. The room went silent, the only survivors being Kali and her friends, Mike and Jane, and Dr. Brenner. Everyone was watching Jane in awe. "Mike," she whispered, grabbing onto him, watching the blood that was seeping through his shirt.
"I'm fine," he said, ignoring the pain. Jane suddenly felt very weak and she leaned on the desk for support. That's when Dr. Brenner fell from his position against the wall. Jane was simply too tired to keep him up.
"Jane!" Kali called turning to look at her. Dr. Brenner somehow had the energy to stand up and grabbed Kali by her neck, twisting her arm until the knife was in his possession.
"Let me leave and no one gets hurt," Brenner began, holding the knife to Kali's throat. Papa's voice was strained, confirming Mike's suspicions about broken ribs.
"Remember our training, Jane," Kali said against Brenner's choke-hold.
Jane looked up at him, her exhaustion melting away as rage took its place.
"You," Jane said. "You hurt Mama. You took me. You hurt sister. Your men hurt Mike…" Jane was seeing red. "No more."
"Jane," Mike whispered. She looked at him, her eyes hardening.
"No," she said, "more."
With a killer glance, Brenner's eyes began to bleed. He gurgled and tried to breathe, but blood just poured out of his mouth as well. Kali pushed him off of her and moved away, staring in awe. Jane reached a hand in front of her and concentrated harder. Brenner had blood coming out of his nose and ears now as his insides simply melted.
"Jane," Mike whispered. "You don't have to do this."
"Yes," she said. "I do."
Brenner suddenly fell to the ground, blood pooling around his body. No one made a sound. Then Jane fell onto Mike, who struggled to hold her up since his side was still stinging, though the bleeding had stopped. For a moment, the room was silent. They were interrupted by the alarm, which was now on its second round.
"We need to go," Dottie said.
Funshine grabbed Jane and put her over his shoulder. Dottie and Axel helped Mike walk while Kali led.
"Which way Jane?" Kali asked.
"Right," was Jane's croaky reply. Kali kept them veiled while Jane uttered directions until they made it to the exit.
Walking out into the light, they heard the familiar screech of the van's breaks as Mick pulled up. The group ran up to the van, setting Mike and Jane in the back, everyone else shuffling in as they saw more men running outside from the lab.
"GO GO GO," Axel yelled as they slammed the doors. Mick hit the gas and soon they were blended in the normal traffic. Mike wondered what time it was and what lie Nancy had told their mother. It was definitely past dinner time.
"Okay, Mike. Let me see," Kali said, crouching in front of him. Mike had practically forgotten that he was injured. He pulled his shirt up and took a look at his side. There was a lot of blood, but the actual wound wasn't deep. Kali opened a first-aid kit that she had pulled from under one of the seats. "This might sting," Kali warned. She dabbed an alcohol covered cloth on his side, which did in fact sting, but not anything unmanageable. Kali continued cleaning out his side and when she was done, it didn't look half bad. She bandaged it up with gauze and tape. "Good as new," Kali told Mike with a smile.
"Thank you," Mike told her genuinely. Kali nodded and moved forward in the van to talk to Axel and Mick.
"Mike," Jane whispered. Mike leaned over to her.
"I'm right here, Jane. I'm right here," Mike said soothingly.
"I'm sorry," she whimpered.
"What are you sorry for?" Mike asked. He looked down into her big brown eyes.
"You saw me doing bad things," Jane said, looking down. "I'm so sorry Mike." Jane smothered a sob. Mike took her into his arms, careful of his wound.
"It's okay, Jane." Mike didn't know what else to say. He couldn't lie to her and say she wasn't terrifying in there. But she had also protected him. Jane was like some sort of avenging angel. Mike just hoped she would lay off the revenge for a little while. "I love you," he whispered into her curls.
"I love you Mike," Jane replied, clinging to him like he was oxygen.
Axel tried not to eavesdrop, but he heard bits of the conversation between Mike and Jane. They were the closest thing to soulmates that he'd ever seen.
"I didn't understand before," Kali said, taking Axel out of his thoughts. "Why Jane left me. But I understand now. It was him," she said quietly. Mick nodded, she had been eavesdropping as well.
"You'll always have us, Kal. Just like she'll always have him," Axel said.
"Since when are you a softie?" Kali teased, bringing back the usual sarcastic demeanor that Axel carried.
"Yeah yeah, whatever," Axel said, waving his hands in defeat.
"How do you feel, Kali?" Dottie asked.
"I feel… alive."