Chibiyu: Ok, this chapter (if I feel like it) may have a little bit of gore. These two parts were inspired by a zombie apocalypse movie called 28 Days Later. I don't know why or how that movie inspired this though.
Nick: I've learned to not question it. You'll lose brain cells if you do.
Chibiyu: Yes, and me going insane from the lack of brain cells would only spell out your demise.
Nick: Exactly. And no, Chibi really has no idea why she is putting these two parts in third person POV.
Chibiyu: Yes I do! I'm testing it out – when I decide to get published, this is an easy way to see which stories flow best in third person. There is a method to my madness. Most of the time.
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Everyone nodded. Paragon's light shrunk until she was just a dot of yellow on the ceiling, ready to lead the group on to what she hoped to be freedom. The sound of 18 people drawing their breath filled the cavern.
And Nick pulled the trigger.
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They saw a blast of light; nothing more. Nick watched the green bars on the gun drop to two – two charges left. All of them held their breath as the tiny dot of light known as Paragon navigated through the vines and settled carefully on Nick's wrist.
"It worked," with the Shifter's two short words, the Normals all released their breaths. Paragon felt Nick's pulse slow as his anxiety seemed to end. "Now, since the plans changed a bit, I am going to have to make more light, aren't I?"
"Think of it as a chance to show off," came Nick's overly mocking reply. Paragon, if she was a cat, would have twitched her tail in worry. A stressed Nick was not a good omen. "Alright, you all will have to be extremely careful. Do not touch the vines."
The shuffle of clothes was heard when nods were passed around the dark room. In seconds, Paragon was back on the other side and illuminating the room with a sickly faint light. Paragon could see Nick itching to go first, to make sure there was a safe way, but he needed to stay behind to encourage the younger ones. Apparently Neuropath's sister had no need for encouragement as she hopped through an open space in the vegetation very easily.
She gestured for others and with Nick's gentle prodding, Brianna and Eric, slipped through. Everyone stopped when the vines shifted, closing one opening and creating another. Five more ran through before another shift took place. Paragon could see her friend literally paling in fear, color fading in his skin each time a vine moved. The villainous sensed a near heart attack for the oldest boy when the vines moved and were a hair's breadth away from Eric's back.
And then it was Nick's turn. His eyes shifted to the top, watching the green sway as it moved. All of them knew he would not have a lot of time. Florice was getting agitated; it was shown with the withering of the leaves. She knew something was wrong. A spot opened and the curly haired teen dove through it, skidding on the concrete. He wasted no time in snatching Brianna and Eric's hand before tearing down the tunnel, following Paragon's light.
For a moment, all that could be heard was the slapping of feet, bare and shoed, hitting the stone beneath them. One stumbled as they tripped over the turning iron of the abandoned subway railing. They were soon steadied and led on.
"Now where do you think you're all going?" Everyone stopped at the honey-suckle sweet sound of her voice. Paragon growled, shifting into something unseen as her light faded. Nick winced when Brianna's nails dug into his skin and he quickly forced her behind him. Eric willingly took a step back. Nick could feel the kids behind him shivering from fear. They all knew they were caught.
"Step aside, Florice, before we trample you." The seventeen behind Nick stepped back at the seething hatred in Paragon's voice.
"Oh, you're here too Paragon?" The girl laughed the sound echoing maddeningly throughout the dark tunnel. "I have to see this."
Beams of light broke through the walls as plants withdrew from the warmth of the light bulbs. The Normals behind Nick covered their eyes. Some shrieked when they saw a giant black bear standing with its back facing them. Others whimpered in fear from the flowers near their arms. Brianna glared at Florice and was pulled even further back by Eric. Nick's eyes were glued to what was hanging around Florice's neck.
The oldest Normal met their enemies stare, not at all surprised to see amusement dotting her leaf green eyes. Florice pushed her tomato-red hair from her neck and showed the pendant clearly.
"You know what this is?" she asked, stepping closer despite Paragon's warning growl. Nick did not respond. "I think you do."
"It wouldn't have chosen you." If Nick's words surprised the girl, she did not show it. However, Paragon did jump slightly and turn her head, one of her huge eyes boring into Nick's. Her question went unanswered and her fearful gaze, ignored.
"So you think," Florice replied, touching the ruby lightly. It rested paper thin against her pale skin. The black snake contrasted easily, making it stick out even further. The ruby could have been a part of her hair. As Nick watched, he could see something swirling within the depthless gem, and judging from the way a few kids stepped forward to get a closer look, he wasn't the only one who could.
If it works for her, Nick thought, trying to hold back the desperate panic that was building within his chest, then we are screwed.
He stepped forward, trying to be slow as to not alarm the Villain. "How did you get that?"
Florice smirked, twirling her hair in her fingers. "Does it matter?"
"It does."
"Then I will humor you," she taunted, shaking her head slightly. Her fingers curled around the end of a vine as she leaned against the filthy wall. "It took some persuasion, but a few entered the Resting Place and one returned. I, of course, killed the idiot and took this for myself."
"You're nothing but a murderer!" A new voice entered the conversation, followed quickly by a low growl.
Florice rolled her eyes. "Is it wrong that I wish for the world to be rebirthed?"
"When it means killing innocents, then it is very wrong."
"And what, baboon butt, are you going to do about it?"
Paragon lunged forward and tried to swipe at the girl with her massive paw. Florice smirked, not moving as a vine took the attack.
"My children won't allow harm to come to me."
Nick, having seen this attack coming, thrust his gun-like weapon into the same grubby hands who first stole it from him. She nodded, understanding in seconds. When it was given back, blood dripped from her fingers. Paragon shrieked in pain when vines curled around her stomach, constricting her. Nick aimed and fired, praying he would miss his friend.
His prayers were heard. The vines disintegrated instantly, the beam hitting the concrete wall before it lost power. The green ticks faded to one. Florice stumbled back, a silent scream on her features.
"For that, you will die."
Nick didn't even have time to take a breath before pain was shooting through his side. He did not know if that was him screaming, or the ones behind him. His hand flew to his side, skin getting stained red. For a moment, everything in his world faded to black and all he knew was the ache of a thousand needles drilling into his right side.
The Normals scattered, something scaling the walls and swinging from the vines, using them to get over Florice and run through the tunnel. Others jumped and stomped on the flowers. But despite the attacks, everything was docile and Florice was idly smiling.
"And this is why humans will never beat my babies."
That was all the warning they received before a vine broke through the stone ceiling.
Screams tore Nick from his pain induced stupor. He forced his watering eyes open and got to his feet, grimacing. Paragon shouted, trying to cut the vine with her beak as the Normals ran around Florice, not caring anymore. Nick finally looked up through the chaos, getting buffered from all sides and blanched. That was her plan.
The vine was dark green, the end looked as if it was dipped into red paint, but Nick knew it to be his blood. On every visibly inch of the plant were thorns. Deep purple thorns. It barreled through the concrete as if it were paper, swiping and hitting everything it could. No human, rock, or plant was to be spared.
Nick shakily removed his hand from his side, swallowing heavily when his blood was not red, but black. Florice's specialty. He closed his eyes for a moment and breathed deeply, focusing on calming his heart. And he accepted it. Accepted that his expiration date was upon him. Accepted that he would die. With open eyes, Nick ran at the murderer, willingly to give whatever time he had left to get the others safe. He would not have them condemned.
"You're dead, so why fight?" her voice, laced with unnatural power, seemed to soothe the crushed plants, as well has Nick's shaking limbs. But he would not get drawn in this time.
"So you can go down with me." Nick's words were covered by shouts of pain as the vines entangled another Normal. Three ran to his aide, managing to pull him free. One got slapped in the face with the poisoned vine.
"Your bodies will soon be excellent fertilizer for my children." Florice clapped as another fell victim to the poisoned touch. Nick took her moment of excitement and charged, thinking her foolish to let down her guard. One hand found the pendant around her neck; the other was holding back both the girls wrists.
"Silly boy."
"Go!"
Both speakers overlapped each other's words, but Nick's was the winning one. Paragon sped out, only a slight limp to her step, sending he friend a desperate look, but she had a promise to keep. The Normals, injured or not, all piled out after her, one screaming out for Nick to come too.
But he stayed.
Heat seared at Nick's hand as he was violently pulled back, a stem had curled around his waist. He felt the chain snap in his hand. Both watched the Pendant fly in the air and land between them, the clink turning into a deep hiss. A violent stab of pain tore through Nick's side, causing his breath to leave him and his eyes to clench closed. Something began to wrap around his neck. All he could think was; this is it.
Florice screamed, terror engulfing her normally tranquil tone. Four of the Normals looked back and joined her scream. Nick opened his eyes, blinking passed the tears and stared, too afraid to do anything else. The plantation that threatened to strangle him backed away as Florice herself took two steps back. She was on her knees in seconds, bowing to the great figure. Nick could only gape.
In front of them, coiling its tail and rearing to strike, was a snake made entirely of shadows. Its body never seemed stationary, everything shifted, as if the four souls trapped inside were agitated. It turned its head towards the girl with flaming hair, tail narrowly missing Nick as it whipped above his head.
"Oh faithful Guardian," Florice yelled out, the snake looking down upon her, its red eyes sparkling dangerously. Nick could only stare at the ivory fangs, barely willing to breathe in fear of alerting the snake of his presence. "Please bless this day and allow me to harness your powers so plants can once again thrive. Humans have ruined the world above and they are destroying more and more of my children every day. Please, help me."
Nick's logic finally caught up with him. It told him to crawl backwards and follow the retreating Normals, but he couldn't. Fear had taken hold of his feet and he couldn't tear his eyes away from the great figure before him.
The Villain and the Normal watched the serpent move, the shadows it was made out of growing. Its head was level with the girl's. Florice looked up, winning in her eyes, as she raised her hand. It hovered above the snake's head, slowing lowering.
Her hand ghosted over the shadows. The snake hissed. Nick's hand burned and Florice's hand flew to her neck where the stone had rested.
It reared back, opening its terrible mouth, and lunged forward.
Nick got to his feet, running. And he didn't look back.
Somehow, his hands connected back with Brianna's and Eric's. The girl touched his wound, causing a tremor to run through Nick's body. He winced, the action noticed by the two younger.
"Black…" Brianna whispered, her young voice laced with both wonder and horror.
"Poison," Eric breathed, too low for the younger to hear. Nick nodded once, unable to do more as his throat was closing in something akin to fear. "You'll be ok, Nick." Nick blinked the tear from his eyes at the sincerity behind the kid's tone. He wished he could believe the youth's naivety. He wished that he couldn't feel the burn of death spreading slowly through his veins. He wished his vision wasn't blurring. He wished he wasn't dying. And yet, he still was.
Light engulfed them and wind nearly knocked them over when they, with Paragon's guidance, reached the mouth of the tunnel. The Villain instantly turned into a horse, where one of the younger ones was put onto her back, their breathing ragged. Nick looked away from the black gash on his cheek, bile rising in his throat.
He would die too. And for what? Nothing. Nothing.
"Can anyone call a Hero?" The voice sounded from the middle of the running crowd. No one answered because no one could. They were alone in this battle.
"They're coming," Paragon managed to huff out in between her gasps. "Hyperion and Prophetic," she pointedly looked at Nick, "Went to the Hero Council before I came into Florice's Lair. They are coming."
But how many will die before they arrive?
Skyscrapers towered over their heads, the night sky looming ominously, as though spelling their demise. Alleyways seemed to be filled with noises, shrieks of pain and cries of fear and the never ending echo of hearts beating as one unit – as the prey being stalked from below. Things littered the streets of the town, labeling it as the downtown lower-class area. Nick spotted dented trash cans on their sides, boxes, and an old refrigerator. He angled his stride, pulling the two closer to the white object.
The group barely ran for ten seconds.
A crash shook the ground as vines, flowers, and weeds brutally pushed their way through the decrepit street and subway entrance. Nick, having reached the object in question, yanked the door open and forced Eric inside. He needed him to live – only he was old enough to accurately tell the story back to the Heroes.
"Stay there until its safe!" He ordered as he closed the airtight door, knowing the hidden boy would be overlooked. The last thing Nick saw of that boy was his thin hair, covered in dirt, obscuring his wide panicked eyes.
He dragged Brianna down the road, scanning the mass hysteria. Everyone ran off. Paragon yelled and followed a group, trying to protect them. More broke off into twos and fled down alleys as the plants quickly made their way closer. They all still had hope. Nick felt shame burning out the pain when he realized that he had given up his own hope. He had subconsciously labeled himself a dead man and accepted that he could do nothing more than die; he lost hope.
Before he could regain it, a girl screamed, loud and terrible. He whipped his head back, wishing that he hadn't. His free hand covered Brianna's eyes as he forced her into a side alley, away from the girl impaled by plants.
Brianna, through her own fear, registered how much Nick's hand was shaking. She managed to free her eyes and look at the man dragging her along. She wanted him to smile and to tell her that everything would be ok, like he did in the cell. But even a five year old knew that the man running with her was not the same as the one down below. He had changed. The panic in his eyes was enough of a confirmation. So Brianna told herself that everything would be ok and she prayed as hard as she could.
Her feet left the ground, her hand torn from Nick's and the cry of "no!" left her lips. She watched Nick stumbled and looked up at her, unable to do anything. Air whistled through her ears as she was pulled back and pain erupted in her ankle.
"Run, Nicky!" She managed to yell before she lost sight of the teen.
And Nick ran.
He risked looking back, surprised to find the way clear. He emerged in a side street, strangled shouts ringing all around him. For a moment, his feet stilled as his body involuntarily tensed from the pressure it was under. But he had to keep going. Had to try and move forward to find a way out, or to try and stop Florice. Anything to make the screams stop.
Run, Nicky!
And he picked up his foot, running again and trying to ignore the bursts of pain that came with every breath. His ribs ached from the stress of running for so long, his hand still burned from when he grabbed Kumori's Four, and his open wound stung like nothing he had ever felt before. But he still ran.
He tried to warn the kid who shot out in front of him, but he was too slow to react. A venus flytrap, large enough to swallow a young girl, snatched her up. Nick turned away his head, trying to shut up the pounding of the younger's fist as the thing digested her. Trying to turn a deaf ear to the slow crunching of bone. To her screams, which would forever echo in his mind. And then…
Silenced. She was silenced in seconds. Dead in seconds. Dead for no reason. Gone.
Nick's legs gave out, the strength leaving them entirely. Agony sparked up, his calves under the pressure of a thousand tons, getting crushed by the acid within the brother's veins. He gasped out, looking over and seeing vines creeping around the corner, as if stalking him, as if watching him. He pulled himself forward with his arms, unable to move beneath his knee.
He didn't know why he was still fighting. He just knew he was.
Heels clicked on the pavement. Nick's breath froze as the air dropped ten degrees.
A tall woman strutted over to him, heels turning the pavement under her feet to ice. She flicked a loose strand of hair from her face, smirking when the strand iced over and stuck to her head. Her eyes, cold and unforgiving, met the ones of the dying teen.
"Cascadea," his voice as strained and filled with harsh breaths, but he recognized her through the milky veil of death.
"I will spare you, Nicholas," Cascadea seemed displeased of this. "My brother is dead because of this monster. It is her I am targeting." With a lifted hand, the vines that had surged through the air towards Nick, froze. Ice covered them entirely. Pale fingers closed into a fist and the ice shattered, bringing the vines down with it. "The roots are my target. Florice will not recover from this for a few days." The Villain was about to leave when a small whimper had her stopping. She looked down to the teen with distaste before sighing. "Your brothers are coming. Grow a pair and survive until they do."
With that, the tall woman touched the light blue mask on her face and pulled down the pearl hanging over her forehead. She kicked the boy lightly on the arm as she passed him and vanished down the very same alley Nick had previously run through.
Nick tried to move his fingers, to grip at the ice in hopes of numbing the smoldering ache, but they didn't work. He tried to wiggle his toes. Not one moved. He forced himself to roll over so his chin wasn't digging into the jagged pavement and so he would have a better view, a more peaceful thing to give his last breath too.
He was told his brothers were coming. They wouldn't find him in time. He would die, lying here, utterly alone and broken with just one hit. But maybe they would find the others. They would help them. Let them live.
They were too late for the girl impaled by vines. Too late for the boy on Paragon's back. Too late for the girl eaten by the plant. Too late for their own brother…and sadly, Nick was used to this. And despite his resentment towards his family, Nick wanted just one more day so he could redeem his actions and convince everyone that he was hideous too, that he loved them. And was grateful for them. And wished he thank them for saving his life more times than he wanted to admit.
But even though he wished it as hard as he could, he still found himself laying there with fading eyesight. For once, Nick was too late. Too late to say anything meaningful. To say sorry. Too late to save himself.
"I found him!" Kevin's yell brought Joe back to his senses. Joe tore his gaze from the wreckage of blood and ice crystals and dead leaves. Ray looked over, a thin haired boy of ten held tightly in her arms. "Eric was right though, I can barely sense him." Ray nodded, and stood, letting Eric tend to the young girl with dark hair, who couldn't have been older than five.
"Brianna says he was fighting it, but he was scared," Eric revealed, holding the small girl was she wept.
Ray grabbed Joe and Kevin's hand, watching avidly as Kevin described where he felt his brother's life force. Times like this, she admired Kevin's ability to sense anything human or mechanical and was glad he was better at finding people when the situation was grave. He was glad he inherited his mother's gene of mental capabilities, whereas Joe got the polar opposite of their family, getting physical. This was a time when Kevin was able to shine.
"I'll be right back, Eric," The girl fixed her ivory mask as Joe grabbed a woman's arm. "Nurse, Hyperion, Prophetic, and I are going to find him."
Her brother nodded, watching his sister concentrate. And then poof, they were gone, teleported to what he hoped to be Nick's side.
"Queens Saint is brave," Brianna whispered, referring to Ray, Eric's sister.
"Yeah."
"Nick's braver."
Eric tried to smile, he really did, but tonight's events made the action impossible. "Let's hope so."
Ground slammed into Kevin's feet, but he could forgive Ray – the more people she took, the harder it was on her. Joe gave an agonized wail and tore off down the street. Kevin, with a heavy heart, followed, unable to speak in fear of throwing up from the panic pounding against his ribcage.
Never had he seen his brother so still or so pale. Joe's hands covered the wound briefly, only pulling away when he saw the color of our brother's blood.
"Poisoned," he managed to say before sobs consumed him. In one glance, Joe turned from the strong, iron willed Hero everyone knew to a young boy, crying for something he couldn't change. "N-Nick," He stuttered, trying to call our brother back to the conscious world. His eyelids fluttered, nothing more changed.
"H-Heather," I finally found my voice as I dropped to Joe's side and took Nick's hand. It was ice cold, the skin tinted blue. "Can you do anything?"
Heather stepped forward, her eyes wrinkled and her nurse's dress already covered in blood of those who she tried and failed to save. The only person not too far gone was Brianna. She was the only injured one to survive. Heather, knowing that she could lose this boy as well, nodded slowly.
"I can try."
A flutter of wings announced the presence of another. A tiny crow landed feet away and watched, not daring to turn into a girl with four Heroes here.
"He is weak," Heather whispered, running her fingers through the sludge that used to be healthy blood. "I will do my best to save him, but it may be too late."
Joe leaned forward slightly and touched Nick's cheek, finding comfort in the fact that it was still warm. "Hang in there, bro." Joe's breath caught in his chest when Nick's head turned slightly towards him, his eyes struggling to open.
"Joe?" It was a whisper, one word, but it was enough. Enough for Joe to sob openly and pull his brother into his lap.
"Kev and I are here. Mom and Dad are on their way. It's ok, Nick, you're going to be ok."
Kevin squeezed their brother's hand tightly as Heather gave him a pointed look. "Nick, Heather is going to fix you up, ok?" Nick sighed at this, giving up the fight to open his eyes. "It's going to hurt." All he got in response was a slight pressure of Nick's fingers digging into his.
The oldest Lucas nodded to the woman. She took a breath and plunged her fingers into the gash on Nick's side. The youngest bucked, eyes flying open, only to slam back closed. Tears streamed down his face and wails escaped his usually quiet tongue.
"Make it stop!" The agony in his voice was enough for Joe and Kevin to imagine what he was going through. It tore through their hearts as they held Nick tighter, keeping him still as he tried to shy away from Heather. "P-please make it s-stop."
Kevin watched Nick's nails draw blood from his palm and his other hand nearly tearing Joe's shirt. He watched him burrow his face into Joe's neck, sobbing pitifully. He watched as Joe cried nearly as hard as Nick, and held him tight, unable to do more than restrain and try and comfort. Kevin doubted Nick could even register Joe's arms or the sound of his shushing, that he could only register the fact that him and Joe were there.
Heather's hands burned a tainted blood, acidic with Florice's famous poison, ran over her exposed skin. She felt Nick convulsing and withering and she felt the waves of distress rolling off of him and onto her. The older woman felt a headache through her concentration as her brow furrowed even deeper. The poison was very near his heart. If they had waited another minute, they would have arrived to see him dead.
The boy with the scratched face had no chance. Ten minutes and he was dead. The other boy with the torn left shoulder was gone in five. The young girl with the hurt ankle survived because very little got into her blood stream and at such a far distance away from vital organs. She was lucky. And Heather found herself hoping that Nick would be lucky too. She was rather fond of Tom Lucas and Sandy Lucas and would hate to see her friends lose a son. So she pushed herself harder, knowing that her breathing made her sound like a victim of venom too.
Ages seemed to pass before Nick's movements faded into a pathetic shaking. Heather leaned back, her hands covered in red instead of black. She looked at the flawless skin, breathing hard and unable to catch her breath. She would be useless for the rest of the night.
Ray kneeled down, trying to shoo the crow that was dangerously near Nick's sweat-covered face.
"Don't." Joe's order was sharp, but it lacked strength. And Ray still complied, moving her hand away. "He'll be ok. You can see him tomorrow." Heather and Ray both looked at the middle Lucas like he was insane for talking to a bird. Said bird seemed to nod before flapping her wings and launching herself into the sky, slightly unstable from the wound on her wing.
"Heather?" Kevin asked, voice still shaking as much as his unconscious brother.
The woman stood, rocking slightly. "He will be fine when he wakes up. It seems like we got lucky tonight."
Lucky. The four shuddered at the word. Lucky? Lucky would be eighteen survivors and a captured Villain.
Fifteen deaths and the one who killed them is still missing.
Yeah. They were lucky.
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Chibiyu: So that was longer than I thought it would be…sorry? Until Next Update!
Written on 11/28/11
