Chapter fifteen
Leonard looked around, confused at all of them and of the commotion that had gone on.
He stared at them as everyone stared at it transfixed.
Herbert moved slightly. Leonard focused on his brother.
Herbert groaned and looked at Leonard sorrowfully.
With his final breathe, Herbert spoke to Leonard, "Forgive me…I almost found the formula… I almost did it."
Herbert then went limp and didn't move again.
Leonard wailed, flailing his roots. He laid eyes on a still stunned Walden. He had the suitcase and gun.
Leonard swung a root at him and threw him against the wall.
Walden fell to the ground and didn't move. Leonard was still raging.
The group stared at the tree unsure of what to do.
Mulder saw the case and knew that he had to get it. He knew he also had to destroy anything that had to do with the Friedman brother's research, meaning Leonard. Mulder didn't take long to come up with a plan.
"Shannon," Mulder said suddenly.
She looked at him, "Yeah," she said.
"You have to get the case, the rest of us will deal with Leonard," Mulder explained.
Shannon nodded.
"Protect it with your life," Mulder said.
She gave him a small smile, "I have to, it's worth all our lives," she said.
Mulder nodded and then turned to Stan, Kenny, and Scully.
"We need to take out the roots that Leonard has put in the ceiling," Mulder said, "If it hurts him, he'll pull his roots down, hopefully taking the ceiling down."
"What good will that do?" Stan asked.
"If I'm correct, we're under the gym. The windows will let in the light," Mulder said and looked at his watch, "It's seven, its morning."
"He'll burn, but you guys have to be careful too," Scully said concerned.
"We'll be fine," Mulder said, "We just need this end," he said.
Scully nodded and everyone took out their weapons, making sure they were loaded.
"I'll distract Leonard so that Shannon can get the case," Mulder said, "Then Shannon just keep out of the way as much as possible," he explained to her.
"I'll be all right," she said.
"The rest of you follow me and take out the roots," Mulder said.
"Sounds easier said then done," Kenny stated.
"It is, but it's all we got," Mulder said honestly.
Everyone agreed and Mulder ran farther into the room and closer to Leonard.
Leonard was still flailing and pounding on the walls unaware that Mulder was approaching him. Mulder avoided the crumbling walls and hoped the ceiling had weakened enough.
Mulder saw that the case was near the left wall. He needed Leonard to focus on him.
"Hey, Leonard!" Mulder called.
Leonard stopped for a moment. He looked at Mulder suspiciously.
"I killed Herbert too, I helped Walden," Mulder said hoping it would enrage Leonard.
Leonard screamed and swung at Mulder.
Mulder dove out of the way and ran to the right and Leonard kept swinging at him.
Mulder saw that Shannon had started for the case, but was noticed by Leonard. He then turned on her.
"S**t," Mulder swore, "Leonard!" he called and started firing.
The tree cried out in pain, but continued after Shannon. It swung at her, but Kenny tackled her.
The root missed them by inches.
Mulder was slightly relieved.
Stan and Scully came in and started firing at the roots.
Mulder helped them.
They succeeded in bringing one root down. It did what Mulder hoped.
Parts of the ceiling crumbled and he saw thorough the opening that there was light.
The light hit Leonard, he started screaming in agony, and his flailing became frenzied. He had nowhere to hide or move to for cover. He was trapped in the light.
Leonard started attacking all of them fiercely. He swung and had nearly hit Scully. She was luckily quick to get out of the way.
They brought down a second root and the ceiling opened more. Leonard cried out in pain louder and started attacking more violently.
Mulder was glad that his plan was working, but noticed that Stan, Kenny, and Shannon having trouble maneuvering to stay out of the light.
If this didn't go right, Scully would be the last one fighting this damned tree, and if she was the last one standing, they need to take out as many as possible for her to defeat Leonard on her own.
A third root went down, and the sunlight coming in forced Shannon and Stan to be trapped on the left side of the wall in the limited shade.
The light intensified on Leonard and parts of him started to smoke and light with fire. He seemed to be ignoring it and focused more on trying to kill the others.
Stan tried to shoot a root from his angle, but he stopped when Leonard focused on him and started attacking him and Shannon. They had nowhere to run.
Kenny and Scully brought the focus back on them, and they took down the fourth root. Kenny was unluckily caught in the light that came from opening that part of the ceiling.
He screamed out in pain and scrambled into the shadows with Stan and Shannon.
Scully looked like she wanted to go after him, but knew that Leonard needed to be finished.
Pulling down the fourth root opened too much light that Mulder couldn't continue fighting. He was trapped now on the right side of the cave and the last root was out of sight for Mulder to keep shooting at it.
Some of Leonard's roots had now caught fire. He was slowly burning. They need the last root to fall.
Scully was the last one now, and Leonard was completely focused on her.
He swung and missed Scully, but just barely. He started flailing at her and she wasn't able to continue her assault on the last root.
Stan had started firing at Leonard to bring focus on him so that Scully could continue.
It worked and Leonard started swinging at them. Although it was difficult for Kenny, Stan, and Shannon to keep dodging the roots, Stan kept firing.
Mulder started firing at Leonard to take the focus off the other three and still let Scully continue.
Leonard turned to Mulder and started swinging. Mulder stayed out the roots way.
Leonard was focused on the others and had forgotten about Scully.
She recovered and started shooting at the last root.
Leonard was confused at whom to keep attacking now that he was being attacked from different directions.
Finally, it didn't matter; the last root fell.
The ceiling completely caved in. Everyone ducked for cover to keep from being hit by parts of the collapsing ceiling and trying to still stay out of the light.
The room was brightly lit with sunlight and Leonard screamed out in agony and burst into fire.
Everyone watched as the tree burned into ash.
The nightmare was finally over.
They all looked at each other, slightly amazed to realize that they had survived 'til morning.
Scully walked over to the teenagers and assessed them.
Kenny hadn't been really affected by the sunlight. It only hurt him.
Scully opened the case. It held six vials and an injection gun.
Scully injected the three of them.
After she finished with them, she started for Mulder. He was resting against the wall.
Scully noticed that Shannon, Kenny, and Stan weren't following her.
The three looked at the sunlight warily.
"What if we're not fine? What if it didn't work?" Shannon said worriedly.
"It has to," Stan said but still didn't step into the light.
"The light hurt like hell, but…," Kenny said and tentatively walked into the light.
He flinched slightly when the light touched him, but realized that he didn't feel any pain. He smiled and laughed.
"I'm normal," he said happily.
"You're you, Kenny. Normal isn't what I'd call you," Shannon teased.
Kenny glared at her, but smiled.
Shannon walked into the light as well and was relieved. She embraced Kenny.
"I missed you, Kenny," Shannon said tearfully.
"Me too, but we're fine," he said holding her tightly.
Stan walked into the light and was happy too.
Shannon hugged him too. Stan was surprised, but held her too.
Scully decided to let them be. She walked over to Mulder.
"It works?" Mulder said wearily.
She knelt next to him.
"It seems so," Scully said and loaded the injection gun.
Scully gave him the antidote.
He sighed relieved, "Thank god, I really did hate those red lights," he quipped.
Scully gave a small laugh. She looked relived too.
She helped him up and he walked into the sunlight.
The sun felt warm and perfect. It didn't hurt.
Scully stood next to him. She was still watching him.
He smiled at her, "I'm not going to burst into flames, Scully," he said.
"I know, that would be a whole different X-file," she smiled, but tearful.
He laughed lightly and pulled her into his arms in a tight embrace.
"We're fine. It's over," he said reassuring her.
"I know. I wasn't worried," she said her voice breaking a bit.
"Of course you weren't," he said amused, pulling back from her to look at her, "You were great, Scully," he said firmly.
She nodded, "We were. They needed us," Scully said looking at Stan, Kenny, and Shannon.
The three were just talking and seemed so much happier.
"Yeah, I'm just sorry that no one will be prosecuted for this," Mulder said grimly.
Scully touched his arm, "Hey," she said softly, "Let's worry about that later, let's just get out of here," she said.
"You're right," Mulder said and led Scully back over to the three teens.
Shannon immediately hugged Mulder. He was mildly surprised. She then hugged Scully.
"She's a hugger," Kenny said, smiling, "It's her greatest flaw," he teased.
Shannon rolled her eyes at him, but stood in front of Mulder and Scully.
"Thank you so much. It's only because of you two that I found my brother and that this nightmare is over," she said sincerely.
"It's not a problem," Mulder said, "We are the last resort and we tend to get things done."
"Thank you," Shannon said.
"Yeah, thanks for not giving up on me," Kenny said shaking Mulder and Scully's hand.
"Thanks for overall not giving up," Stan said and then turned to look at the gaping hole in what used to be the gym floor, "How do we get out of here?" he asked.
Mulder scrutinized it, "Carefully," he said and started for the rubble.
The others followed, all thankful to be leaving the school finally.