Chapter 90

The Final Plan

Joshua leant back in his chair, taking in the men and woman who sat in a rough circle outside the restaurant. Rain pattered down on the plastic covering above, making enough racket to shield any unwanted noise. The other survivors were silent, watching and waiting for Joshua to say something. Instead, Joshua simply surveyed each of them, one by one, wandering how they were going to take in his plan.

There was Chloe and Jeremy, sitting close to each other and holding hands. Jeremy's natural smile was worn and his wide eyes were misty with worry and concern. Chloe was shivering slightly, though whether this was the rain or something else Joshua couldn't place. It could have been a number of things. Nick sat, eyes not focusing on anyone in particular. He looked deep in thought, his fingers lightly tapping some kind of tune on the table. Detrikov was sitting with his left stub of an arm resting on his right. He was tapping his foot, eyes narrowed on Joshua.

Derrick was hunched forward due to his larger size while Gracie still had her coat tugged around her. Both newcomers. Lucky for them, they won't have the experience much death. Not like the rest of us. Joshua glanced towards Lukas and Dominika. They looked freshly exhausted, with dark rings around Lukas' eyes. Finally there was Dorothy and David. Dorothy's dull eyes were blindly flitting left and right, her hand squeezing David's. David looked worse for wear, having not shaved since it all started. His goatee had spread out into full on stubble.

Everything single one of them – with the exception of the Hamilton siblings – looked worn beyond any normal limits.

Joshua took a breath, capturing the attention of those who weren't already looking at him. He was about to speak when Lukas interrupted.

"Before you start," Lukas said, running a hand through his head. "I just want to say that Dominika and I have been skipped. We had… an incident in the park." Dominika nodded confirmation.

Joshua seemed surprised, as did the rest. "Did anyone see any clues?"

Everybody shook their heads or murmured a negative. Joshua frowned. He's playing with us more than I thought… he's even taken away the clues… our salvation… the sooner this ends, the goddamn better. Joshua took a quick scan to make sure nobody else was about to say anything before he started speaking.

"A lot of people have died due to Death." Joshua started, fingers stretched out on the table. "Innocent people. People who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were… chosen without their consent to find an imitator of death. They would have had to survive a year. Nobody did. Four visionaries, all of who had differing methods for solution. They didn't understand short of a few words from a mortician. They weren't prepared. And they all died brutal… grotesque deaths. This year we had another vision, seen by Jason and… heard by Dorothy.

"But this was a fabrication created by Gerald Myers. Gerald Myers killed Dylan, killed Jake. He murdered Jennifer. Gerald Myers… forced me to make a choice I hope no-one else has to make. He corrupted Tyrone and Jason, sent them against me and my mother. They failed and were killed. He corrupted Vladimir Detrikov…" Joshua looked towards Detrikov, who simply frowned. "Forced him to kill his best friend. Gerald Myers was a menace and an evil man… he was the imitator. Then he was killed…"

Here, Nick managed to hide a choked sound, only noticed by Derrick who glanced towards him.

"And you know what I thought when I sensed this?" Joshua tapped his forehead. "I thought… freedom. There was to be no more senseless killings, no more lists. We had done Death's job, we had found the imitator and I thought we were free." Joshua stood up, leaning forward on the table. "Lies." He spat. "All this time… Death has been playing a game with us. Another list! More people dead! Cray, Richard… Lisa… Even a chosen… It was a fools dream to believe that we were free. Death doesn't want witnesses to who he is. He doesn't want people to know what he has done, that he even exists."

Joshua closed his eyes for a moment. "I promised I would save everyone. I broke that promise. I've seen… so much blood spilt, from the day when I was on that bridge ten years ago to the day I saw my mother die. Jay, Josie… Alexander… Becca, Riley… We must remember all of them because they were innocents who were murdered." Opening his eyes again, Joshua looked towards Nick specifically. "I cannot make any more promises. Not after all that has happened. However I will try my best to ensure your survival. Most of you have been forced into circumstances no human should experience… forced to kill men…" Joshua's eyes connected with Nick's before turning to Detrikov. "Forced to cut off limbs." He looked down. "Forced to see relatives fall." Joshua looked back up, fists clenched. "Then I heard Fisk's theory. That Death was always chosen from a list. That he wasn't immortal, he simply had a perfect life. And when that life was over, only then did he choose a list. And if Death can replace himself on his own death-bed… what's to say we can't get rid of him?"

Joshua took a deep breath. "I do have a plan. But… it's a plan in which I have to ask you all to put your lives on the line once more. Every time I try to contact Death, it is like a wall has been put up. I used to be able to contact him whenever I pleased. I know my mother did. But now I cannot. But when my mother died I caught a glimpse… a glimpse of the wall breaking but I was too far gone in misery. Now I sit and think about it, I believe I know what to do. Death will get distracted when somebody dies."

"You're asking us to die for this plan?" Lukas questioned.

"Of course not. I'm merely asking you to deliberately get into a life or death situation, and then get skipped. I should be able to use that as a distraction – of somebody risking their lives – to… to kill him."

"Kill Death?" Derrick snorted. "I haven't heard something that ridiculous for a long time."

"But that is what I will need to do. I ask you all to risk your lives to save your lives. There is a construction site I know of which will provide sufficient danger. Will you join me to help defeat Death for good?"

Slowly, one by one, everything either nodded of murmured a 'yes'. Finally, only one person was left to say his answer.

Nick looked up to Joshua, feeling a cold pit in his stomach. "What makes this any different from what Myers wanted to do?"

"He wanted power. We want to save our lives. That is enough difference." Joshua simply replied.

"That's a fine line which doesn't even exist." Nick stood up, shaking. "I can't in good faith do that. I can't be a part of destroying Death. Dying needs to happen. It's what makes people human. If you kill Death, then surely nobody will die? The consequences of that are… unthinkable. Mass over-population… starvation… constant pain because there are not enough supplies…"

"Do you not want to live?" Lukas asked.

"What are our lives to millions of others?" Nick growled between gritted teeth. "There are eleven of us. If we kill death, then so many things will go wrong. Have you ever thought that perhaps… that perhaps we allow Death to take us? I mean… eleven lives to a million lives? Which one makes the most sense?"

"Nick…" Joshua started but was cut off.

"No… I just… maybe I'm wrong… maybe it won't be that bad. So do what you have to, but I simply won't be a part of it…" Nick bit his lip before looking up to the sky. "Besides I have… something important I need to do." Nick smiled grimly. "I do think the correct solution is to sacrifice eleven lives. I really do. If you… must defeat Death, then that is fair enough, but I will not be a part of the destruction of humanity." With a small sigh, Nick turned around and left into the rain, soon disappearing into the distance.

"Well…" Joshua sat back down and crossed his arms. "He makes valid points. Does anyone else want to go with him? I will not fault you. He doesn't need to be a part of this plan anyway, since he was skipped."

"That would mean those of us who haven't been skipped would still need to go if we want this." David said with narrowed eyes.

"Yes." Joshua confirmed. "…Yes." He looked around. "Anyone?"

"Derrick… Let's go." Grace stood up and tugged on Derrick's sleeve. He looked up at her in surprise.

"Gracie?"

"Nicki has the right idea." Grace nodded, more to herself than anybody else. "I do think that… that what he says will happen… will happen. Nothing good can come from killing D-Death."

Derrick took a second before nodding. "Fine. If it's what you want." With that, Derrick stood up and without another word left with Grace in the direction that Nick went.

"…Anyone else?" Joshua asked. Nobody else stood up. "Okay then… thank you. I want more than anything to end this bloodshed. Follow me, we'll go to the construction site right away."

A/N:- Thanks to Princezzshell101 for your review! So, ten more chapters to go! By Golly I'm excited for what's to come. Only two of the list will survive the coming ten chapters…

'Till next time!