Chosen Chapter 6: The Gemini Factor
Part 5
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Without thinking of her own safety, Billie ran after the twins into the bank building. She heard Duncan yelling behind her, but ignored him. She wanted to catch them, she wanted to stop them and figure out why they were doing this. It did not make sense, if all they wanted was to rob banks, why play these games? There was more going on, and she was determined to get answers.
When she entered the bank through the destroyed door, the alarm was almost deafeningly loud. She looked around, but the twins were nowhere to be seen, though she did notice several destroyed cameras on the floor. Suddenly, the alarm stopped and a moment later, several emergency lights went on, which cast eerie shadows all around her. When she heard a noise, she spun around, though it was only Duncan.
"Billie, this is a trap." Duncan said as he entered the bank. "The police will get here soon."
"I want to know to the truth." Billie replied and turned to yell across the bank. "Come on! You wanted to play games. Show yourselves."
There was a crash from somewhere in the bank and Billie instinctively ran toward it. She leaped over a few desks and headed through a back door. She noticed a trail of destruction leading to what presumably was the vault, judging by the metal door. As she came closer, she slowed her pace and heard Duncan behind her. He held out his hands and a crossbow appeared in an orange glow. She nodded at him and waved her hand, flinging open the vault door.
The moment the door opened, a Fire Ball flew at them and Billie barely avoided it by bending backwards through her knees. She then dodged a second one by cartwheeling while Duncan pressed himself against the wall to avoid them. Getting annoyed, she raised her hand and sent a third one flying back into the vault.
"Enough." Billie called out. "Come on!"
Suddenly there was a blur and both Billie and Duncan were thrown against the ground. Billie leaped up and saw the twins were now standing behind them, blocking the exit. She realized they wanted to trap them, but she would not let them. She flung her arm, though Nathan blocked her telekinesis by creating a force field of transparent red energy.
"Why are you doing this?" Duncan asked as he crawled up and looked at Nathan.
"Who says we need a reason?" Nick replied instead of his brother. "We just want to have a bit of fun."
"This is your idea of fun?" Billie called out. "Who the hell raised you?"
"Nobody." Nick replied with a glare.
"So you want to get rich, fine." Billie said. "Rob all the banks you want, but why come after us? What did we ever do to you?"
"You're all the same." Nick said. "You witches and your stupid rules. We make our own rules. We don't owe anyone an explanation."
"Billie." Duncan whispered and she briefly looked over her shoulder. He held out his hand and nodded at her. She thought she knew what he meant.
"Oh yeah?" Billie said as she stood up. "Well now you owe us an explanation. Answer correctly, and I might go easy on you."
"You don't stand a chance." Nathan replied unimpressed. "You have no idea what we're capable of."
"No, but I know your weakness." Billie said as he held out her hand behind her back. Duncan nodded and conjured an athame in her hand, which she clutched tightly.
"And what is that?" Nick asked arrogantly.
"Each other." Billie said.
Before the twins had time to respond, Billie threw the athame at Nick. The blade swirled through the air at his chest. However, before it could hit, Nathan screamed and grabbed him brother in a blur. He pressed his brother against the wall and the athame hit him in the shoulder instead. He cried out in pain as he kneeled down and Nick angrily threw a Fire Ball at Billie. Billie deviated the Fire Ball back at him and it blasted against the wall.
With a scream, Nick angrily ran forward and pushed Billie with superhuman strength. She flew back through the hall into the vault, though she managed to use her levitation to slow her speed and land with her feet on the wall before flipping down to the floor. She flung her arm and tossed Nick across the vault as he entered. He ripped a deposit box from the wall and threw it at her, which she easily evaded with acrobatic moves.
Xxx
At the same time, as he heard Billie and Nick fighting in the vault, Duncan got up and grabbed his crossbow as he slowly headed toward Nathan. The other twin was cradling his painful shoulder, where the athame was still sticking out. When he noticed Duncan coming closer, he quickly stood up and raised his hand. Electricity sparked between his fingers, though he hesitated and Duncan saw the conflict in his eyes. They stood across from each other, with Duncan aiming his crossbow and Nathan ready to unleash lightning.
"Tell me what is going on." Duncan demanded angrily.
"I can't." Nathan replied. "It is complicated."
"No, it is not." Duncan replied. "Just tell the truth. If all you want is money, why the mind tricks? Why pretend to like me?"
"Who says I was pretending?" Nathan asked.
"Don't lie to me." Duncan snapped at him. "You really think you can play the same trick twice?"
"Fine. We both set out to trick you." Nathan replied annoyed. "Is that what you want to hear?"
"All of this just to mess with me?" Duncan asked. "Are you even really gay?"
"Yes, I am." Nathan admitted. "And even though it started out as a trick, I do like you."
"You have a weird way of showing it." Duncan remarked. "Why should I believe a single word you say? You're a warlock, you're evil."
"You don't know anything about me." Nathan replied angrily as the electricity sparked in his hand. "Don't pretend you know what you're talking about, because you're wrong."
Duncan wanted to ask another question, though he suddenly heard sirens in the distance. They needed to get out of there. This could not be explained away, if they were caught, they would be in big trouble. Nathan seemed to realize the same thing, as he lowered his hand and the sparks disappeared. He reached for his shoulder and pulled the athame out with a painful groan, tossing it on the ground.
"For what it is worth, I really am sorry." Nathan said.
Suddenly, Nathan shot past him in a blur and a moment later, he and his brother were standing at the end of the hall. Billie came running out of the vault, seemingly unharmed. However, before either of them could take a step, Nick raised both hands and unleashed a blast of red energy, which threw them back across the hall with great concussive force.
When Duncan looked up, he saw the twins were gone and Billie had been knocked unconscious after hitting her head. Meanwhile the sirens were close, right outside of the bank. They needed leave, so Duncan called out for Mikelle. As the whitelighter appeared, Duncan suddenly noticed the athame that had pierced Nathan's shoulder. He picked it up and looked at it, noticing it was covered in red blood. That was impossible, right? However, he did not have time to think about it as Mikelle quickly orbed them to safety.
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About half an hour later, Billie emerged from the bathroom dressed in simple jeans and a t-shirt after a quick and refreshing shower, with her hair still dripping wet. Meanwhile, Duncan and Mikelle were sitting in her dorm room with a cup of coffee. Billie felt bad about what happened, especially since Duncan seemed to take it pretty badly. She guessed he must have really liked Nathan. A moment later, the door opened and Violet and Arthur came rushing in. Billie sat down on the bed and took an aspirin for her headache.
"Oh my god, what happened?" Violet asked confused. "Your text said it was an emergency."
"Sorry to pull you out of your date." Billie said with a sigh.
"It is okay." Violet replied as she shared an awkward look with Arthur. "So you found the bank robbers?"
"Oh, we did more than find them." Billie said. "Remember the cute guy from this morning? Turns out he and his twin brother are bank robbing warlocks. And for some reason, they seem to have a personal vendetta against us."
"What do you mean?" Violet asked.
"They wanted to frame us, or get us out of the way or something." Billie said annoyed. "I don't even know. It is all very confusing."
"Why would warlocks rob banks?" Arthur asked. "Typically, they only care about getting more powers. They don't seem like your typical warlocks."
"It's because they're not." Duncan mumbled as he played with the bloody athame in his hands. "Look, red blood, human blood."
"But warlocks don't bleed." Arthur remarked with a frown.
"I know, which means they're not warlocks." Duncan said as he placed the athame on the table. "At least not fully."
"But the powder, you said it pointed to warlocks." Billie said confused. "You were sure."
"I know, but now that I think about it, there was only one trail that led to a warlock." Duncan replied. "Most of the magic had a yellowish color, meaning it was mostly neutral."
"So you're saying that the twins are something else, but that there was a warlock?" Billie asked. "So maybe they are working for someone."
"It is possible." Duncan replied doubtfully.
"So what does that make these twins?" Mikelle asked. "Half-warlocks, evil witches, something else entirely? If you want to vanquish them, you need to be sure."
"No!" Duncan called out he stood up. "We can't just vanquish them!"
"Duncan, I know this is difficult, but they tricked us, they played with our emotions." Billie said. "They tried to frame us for a bank robbery. Who knows what is next? Even if they are not warlocks, they're still working with one."
"I don't think they are truly evil." Duncan replied. "What if this warlock is forcing them somehow? I mean, Nathan was…"
"Sweetie, I get that you want to believe it, but this was exactly their plan." Billie said with a sad expression. "I am sorry, but they cannot be trusted. It was all an act to hurt us or something."
"Perhaps you're right." Duncan admitted with a sigh as he sat down and rested his hand in his hands. "Guess I was stupid to fall for it that easily."
"No, you're not." Billie quickly said.
"Billie is right." Violet added in support. "It could have happened to anyone."
"If I wasn't so wrapped up in this whole Jake situation, I might have fallen for it just as easily." Billie said, even though it was frustrating to admit it to herself.
"Thanks." Duncan said with a faint smile as he sat up and looked at them. "So what is next?"
"We need to figure out exactly who and what these twins are." Billie said determined. "Mikelle, can you check with the Elders again, see if they missed something?"
"Yeah, sure." Mikelle replied.
"Okay, Violet, maybe you and Arthur could check Magic School in the morning and see if there is anything there that can help?" Billie asked. "Right now, I think we're all exhausted so we should get some sleep."
"Yeah, that's a good idea." Violet said as she looked at Arthur, who nodded.
"Okay, we will meet again tomorrow." Billie said. "Be careful just in case."
"I'll walk you to your room." Arthur said to Violet as he held out her coat.
Violet smiled as she took the coat and they left the room. Mikelle rolled her eyes and disappeared in a column of orbs, leaving only Duncan behind.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Billie asked concerned.
"I'll be fine." Duncan replied somewhat sad. "It was just a trick, right?"
Duncan left the room and slammed the door shut behind him. Billie was worried. She hated seeing her friends hurt. Suddenly she remembered Taylor. She could not believe she had left her behind. How could she be so stupid? She quickly grabbed her phone and tried to call her, but there was no reply. She dropped the phone and got up, though as she opened the door of her room, she found an angry Taylor standing in front of her.
"Taylor, thank god!" Billie called out. "I was so worried."
"You got a funny way of showing it." Taylor said accusingly. "You left me at the club!"
"I know, I can explain." Billie said.
"Don't bother." Taylor replied. "I am tired of hearing excuses. I am tired of you keeping secrets. I can't do this anymore, Billie. Have fun with your new friends."
Taylor turned around and started walking away. Billie called after her, but she was ignored. She wanted to run after her and explain it all, to tell her the truth, but she knew she couldn't. With the threat of the twins hovering over them, it was probably best to keep Taylor in the dark. At least that way, she would be safe. However, that did not make it feel any easier losing one of her best friends. As she closed the door, she heard her phone buzz and saw it was agent Murphy.
Xxx
As they entered the apartment at superhuman speed, Nathan nearly collapsed as he stopped. The pain in his shoulder was sharp and he was still bleeding heavily. His brother ran over to the kitchen and came back with an emergency kit. At the same time, Nathan walked to the couch and sat down. As he did, another surge of pain coursed through him.
"Lift up your shirt." Nick ordered him.
Nathan did as he asked and slowly lifted up his shirt, though every movement hurt. He felt his brother press gauze against the wound.
"They are going to pay for this." Nick said angrily. "I am going to kill them."
"What?" Nathan asked as he turned around surprised. "What are you talking about?"
"You think I am going to let them hurt you? Hurt us? I am tired of everyone being against us!" Nick called out furiously. "I am going to make them pay!"
Nathan frowned and wondered what was going on with his brother. He was always a little hotheaded, but this was not like him. After bandaging his wound, Nick stoop up and started pacing. Suddenly, he formed a Fire Ball and threw it at the television, causing it to explode.
"What the hell?!" Nathan called out. "Nick, you're acting insane."
"What do you mean?" Nick asked agitated.
"You're not acting like yourself. I mean, you're talking about killing people." Nathan said. "We promised we would never kill. You know what will happen if we take a life. If we go there, there is no going back."
"So what?" Nick replied. "What is the point in denying what we are any longer?"
"I cannot believe you're saying this." Nathan replied shocked, as he felt his brother was losing it. "You are really starting to freak me out."
"Why are you suddenly against me?!" Nick snapped at him. "I have always looked after you. We swore we would always be there for each other."
"Not like this." Nathan replied. "Not if it means killing people and giving up who we are. I think all of this was a mistake. We should have never trusted Bacarra."
"Bacarra offered us everything we wanted." Nick said. "All we have to do is this one little thing."
"Do you really think it will end there?" Nathan asked. "Once we go there, who knows what he'll demand of us next. How can you not see that he is using us? Think for once."
"Are you calling me stupid?" Nick asked angrily as he stepped forward and formed a Fire Ball in his hand. "You better watch it."
"Are you really threatening me?" Nathan asked, trying to act calm and determined, even though he was shaking. "Go ahead then. Do it."
Nathan stared at his brother, who glared back at him. He had never seen his brother like this, with this much rage. He barely seemed human anymore, only evil. Nathan looked at the Fire Ball in his hand and suddenly realized something. The powers Bacarra had given them, they were influencing them, turning them evil. Nick had used his new powers far more that he had, and it had already started to change him. The warlock was tricking them.
"Nick, listen to me." Nathan said telepathically as he grabbed his twin's arm. "This is not you. These powers are messing with your mind. You need to snap out of it."
"What?" Nick asked confused and he stepped back and let the Fire Ball disappear. "I don't know what came over me. What the hell is happening?"
"It's Bacarra." Nathan said. "I knew this was a mistake. We can't trust a warlock."
Suddenly, the doors of the apartment flew open and the warlock stepped in. He raised both his hands and the twins were thrown across the room and crashed through the window onto the balcony. Nathan cried out as his shoulder hit the floor. Before they could get back up, Bacarra grabbed both of them by the throat with telekinesis as he stepped on the balcony.
"This is very disappointing, boys." Bacarra said. "I gave you one simple task. Distract the witches." He let go and the twins were able to breathe again.
"You manipulated us with those powers." Nathan replied after catching his breath. "You're trying to turn us evil."
"Of course." Bacarra said with a smile. "You didn't think I would just let you get away, did you? You two have so much potential, if only you would embrace your true nature."
"We're not like you." Nick sapped at him.
"But you are exactly the same." Bacarra said. "You're just not willing to admit it yet. You refuse to embrace the evil inside of you. The window cannot stay open forever. You need to make a choice at some point."
The warlock smirked as he stepped back into the apartment and poured himself a drink. The twins exchanged looks and telepathically discussed making a run for it as they slowly crawled up.
"Don't even think about running." Bacarra said as he turned to them and saw their faces.
"What do you want?" Nick asked defeated.
"What I wanted from the start." Bacarra said. "Distract the witches, fight them, kill them. Just keep them focused on you long enough."
"Why?" Nathan asked.
"Fine, I'll let you know." Bacarra replied with a sigh. "Tomorrow night, my organization will make its move to claim this city, but it will require a great concentration of power that the witches will surely notice unless they are distracted."
"So what happened after?" Nick asked concerned. "What more do you want from us?"
"After it is done, you are going to kill the witches, take their powers and join my side." Bacarra said casually. "You will get everything you ever wanted, with the small price of your humanity of course."
"So what if we refuse?" Nick asked defiantly.
"I would not do that if I were you." Bacarra replied with an unimpressed frown. "Tomorrow, this city will be ours, and anyone who opposes us, will suffer. So consider your options carefully."
Bacarra dropped his glass, and before it shattered on the floor, he had disappeared in a blink. The twins exchanged troubled looks, their backs were against the wall. They had always done what was needed to survive, but how far were they willing to go this time?
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