CHAPTER 80: One More Time!

"Why didn't you tell me you got a place at Rosedale?" I thought out loud as I curled up on an easy chair with a copy of the Toronto Star, which gave out much more accurate news reports now that the zombies weren't in charge of it.

"I wanted to surprise you, Elyssia. Why? Don't like it?" Peater replied as he poured himself some iced tea.

I laughed and put down the newspaper.

"I love it! We just have to walk less that a kilometre to get to the subway! Not to mention that the houses are nice!" I laughed.

I looked at the front page of the newspaper and did the sign of the cross. In big, bold red letters, the headline screamed:

ELYSSIA ANTONIA MACCABAEUS ― MURDERER AT LARGE!

$50000 IF CAPTURED ALIVE

$100000 IF CAPTURED DEAD

For more information, see pages 2-3 in Breaking News

"Elyssia, is everything okay over there?" Peater asked, his voice full of concern as he came up to me.

"No . . ." I mumbled as I flipped to page 2 and started reading the article.

On May 13, the execution date for notorious troublemaker Ash Lethus, the above-named girl-plant was reported to have shot Eric Yhamanae, who was then the Premier of Ontario, instead of Ash, the intended target.

Elyssia Antonia was named the Coponeva Insuperabilis almost twelve years ago by Madra Magia Dionne Three years after Antonia was baptised beside Niagara Falls, she single-handedly took out a horde of zombies that were attacking her home with "several bright blue bolts of ice and snow," a neighbour witnessing the scene recounted. Antonia's name was chanted everywhere in Toronto. The "Coponeva Craze," a Torontonians liked to call it, was beginning to blossom out over the Halton and Niagara regions. But sadly, this was not to last. One year later, Antonia was reported to have taken out someone's eye while at school, and kill a teacher not long after. She was deemed "dangerous and ruthless" by society, and was feared and ridiculed by plants all over the country. Six years later, Antonia ran away from home and joined the Toronto Enforcement Association, where she was said to have made very valuable contributions. After running around the city, she cleverly led an army when the commander had fallen. It was because of her that the army was able to drive Zomboss out of the province. Some say that Antonia is indeed the Coponeva Insuperabilis, while most think that battle at Lakeshore was simply a fluke.

Regardless, we now know that this girl is truly dangerous. We must find her and put an end to her reign of tyranny and madness.

Peater and I looked at each other, as the truth settled in like a rock at the beach that was dropped into the ocean.

"We're not safe." We said in unison.

"But what are we gonna do?!" I cried.

"We . . . I . . . We need to set them straight! We need to prove to them that Eric was on the bad side! We need to prove to them . . ."

I trailed off and sighed. The rest of my sentence hung loosely in the air.

We need to prove that I'm the Coponeva Insuperabilis . . .
But wait . . . am I?

At ten o'clock that night,, Peater went upstairs to go to bed, and I followed him quietly. Before he opened his bedroom door, he turned around and sighed.

"Enough skulking, Elyssia. I know you're there." he whispered.

Regardless, he allowed me to follow him into his room.

"Peater . . . d-do you think they know where we are?" I stammered as I climbed into the bed.

"I . . . I really don't know, Elyssia. But don't worry ― even if it's with my dying breath, you're staying safe." Peater assured me as he lay down beside me.

"Do you think that I'm . . . I'm the Coponeva Insuperabilis?" I asked as I turned off the light.

"Elyssia . . . that is one of those questions I have no answer to." Peater answered.

Hours later, he was fast asleep while I laid awake thinking about the burning question that blazed inside of me.

Am I the Coponeva Insuperabilis?

Sleep eventually came my way, but the dreams I had were confusing and haunting.

"Elyssia! Has it occurred to you that you're worthless?" Madra asked me.

"Yeah! You're not the Coponeva Insuperabilis! You never were, you idiot!" Peater jeered.

Soon, it seemed like everyone I loved, dead and alive, were mocking me, telling me that I was worthless, that I should just go and kill myself. Then, Zomboss came floating ― yes, floating ― up to me, with hooks as hands. He sliced at my stem and face, before slashing across my beck. I fell to the ground . . .

. . . And the second I woke up, I heard a faint hiss from the doorway. I bolted upright, and looked at the doorway. I saw a pair of red eyes staring back at me, almost pinning me to my spot. In a whirl of red and black, I found that the bed was as hard as a rock. It didn't take very long to realize that I was on the floor.

"P . . . Peater!" I squeaked, hoping to wake him up.

He didn't budge. I tried to speak, or move, but it was fruitless. I was paralyzed, like some demonic virus was attacking my nerves. I felt like I was drowning . . . drowning in a sea of fear and darkness. Although everything around me was distorted and spinning, I could clearly see that pair of red eyes, which was joined by another. And another. And another. And another. The eyes melded into faces. Zomboss' face came first. Then Peater's. Then Adria's. Then Alana's. They were grinning and laughing hollow, scratchy, humourless laughter that cut into my ears like razor blades. I then felt fingers tickling my neck, before they locked around it, causing me to choke.

Jesus . . . Sweet Jesus . . .

I was feeling so much pain, so much anger, so much fear that it hurt. It hurt so much that I thought I was going to die. I began to cough up blood, which splattered across the floor like dark, sticky red paint. I suddenly felt a blade slash at my neck, splattering even more blood across the floor. I bent forwards and screamed for the first time in what seemed like forever. My eyes snapped back into focus, and I could move.

"Help!" I sobbed, choking and sputtering.

"God . . . help me!"

Next thing I knew, Peater was hugging me.

"Elyssia . . . it's fine. I'm right here." he whispered, rubbing my stem until the pain had subsided.

After my shaking had stopped, he dug inside a drawer on the bedside table and produced gauze and peroxide. He cleaned my wound, and put a bandage on it.

"What . . . why . . . how . . ." I stammered as my questions rushed around in my head and collided with one another, like TTC passengers rushing to get off when the train pulled into stations like Union, or Bloor-Yonge.

"Easy does it, Elyssia. Just relax. Those demons haven't exactly been defeated, hm?" Peater murmured as he helped me back up to the bed,

"No . . ." I quietly replied before I slowly, quietly fell asleep in his arms.

I was awoken from my sleep by fresh sunlight streaming onto my face the next day. I turned around and gently nudged Peater.

"Hey . . . today's gonna be big. I can feel it." I whispered.

Peater opened his eyes and smiled.

"Well, what are you waiting for? If today's gonna be big, then get out of bed!" he laughed as he tackled me.

I started kicking and shrieking with hysterical giggles as he tickled me mercilessly.

"Stop . . . stop!" I soughed as I finally managed to wriggle out of his grasp.

"Last one down the stairs is a squashed frog!" I yelled as I bolted out the door and down the stairs.

After a quick breakfast of scones and butter, I made a shopping list and summoned my bag.

"What's the shopping list for?" Peater asked.

"Oh . . . uh . . . I'm just going to Kensington to pick up some stuff . . . yeah, Kensington!" I stammered.

"Elyssia, tell me the truth. Where are you going?" Peater asked again, more firmly this time as he grabbed a knife.

"Well . . . I just have a feeling deep down that something big's gonna happen in Nathan Phillips Square . . ." I mumbled as my eyes found the floor.

"No. I can't have you going out when there's a bounty on your head." Peater said in a steely voice.

"Why not? It's a free country isn't it?"

"Hold it right there, Little Miss Politics! I ain't letting you go out because it's not safe!"

"So what? Since when have I let a threat in a freaking newspaper scare me?"

"You might not be scared, Elyssia, but I am. I'm saying no to this because I don't want you getting killed! I care about you, okay?"

"Oh really? You care about me? Well, if you cared about me, you'd be listening to my side, and you wouldn't be arguing with me! So why don't you shut up?"

"Why don't you shut up, smart mouth? I'm not letting you get hurt!" Peater growled as he pinned me to the wall and dug the blade of the knife into my neck.

"Peater! Do you know what you're doing?" I yelped as the blade began to dig in, causing a few beads of blood to trickle down my neck.

Peater dropped the knife and sighed.

"Sorry . . . I can't have you getting killed . . ." he mumbled sheepishly.

"I guess . . ." I muttered.

"Look, something's pulling me to Downtown Core, Peater. I feel like something really big's gonna happen in Nathan Phillips Square."

Peater grabbed my shopping list and tore it to shreds.

"Do what you have to do. But come back in one piece, and not in a million fragments." He whispered.

I nodded, before conjuring a pair of silver sunglasses.

"I'm doing this in disguise."

After half an hour of making myself look like anybody but Elyssia Antonia, I was ready. As I prepared to turn left on Eglington, I could feel someone following me. Shrugging it off as a case of paranoia, I walked over to the Eglington subway station. Before I prepared to cross the Yonge-Eglington intersection to get to the subway station, I thought better of it and decided to hop on the subway at Wellsley. Eglington looked too crowded, and I wasn't willing to take any risks. So I went the long way along Yonge Street.

O-kay . . . bad idea . . .

I bit my lip and frowned at the crowded Bloor-Yonge intersection. I had been standing here for ten minutes straight. It was jammed solid with delivery trucks and the occasional car all the way down to Yonge and Queen, it seemed. Muttering a few curses, I weaved my way around the trucks, which started a chorus of honking. Yes, in other words, I committed the dangerous crime of J-walking. But hey, desperate times call for desperate measures . . . right?

I J-walked my way over to Bay, which was considerably less crowded, much to my relief. I then decided to check out what was going on in Nathan Phillips Square. So, I started walking down Bay. I had taken less than ten steps south when I felt like someone was following me . . . again. I sighed and turned around, only to see Peater duck into a shadowy alleyway. I opened my mouth to speak, but I thought better of it and resorted to telepathy.

Peater . . . REALLY?!

"Well, excuse me for trying to protect you!"

It'll look too suspicious if you stalk me like this!

Sighing, I made my way over to Peater's hiding spot as inconspicuously as possible.

"Hey, Pea. What'cha got going on?" I whispered as I ruffled the leaves at the back of his head.

"Don't do that, or call me Pea, ever again!" he hissed swatting my leaf impatiently.

I grew serious and bit my lip.

"Why're you following me?" I asked as I sat down on a garbage bag.

"I just . . . y'know . . . had this ominous feeling that something bad was gonna happen or whatever." Peater answered quietly.

I prepared to yell at him, but I sighed and shrugged, adjusting my sunglasses.

"Well . . . fine. Follow me, but do it in such a way that does not stir suspicion. Capisce?"

Peater nodded and held up his leaf.

"Capisce." he replied, before leaning in to kiss me softly.
He pulled away after a few seconds, before pulling me up into a standing position.

"That's the last time I'm letting you get away with that today." I said flatly.

"Now let's get this show on the road . . . shall we?"

I cautiously walked down Bay, making sure Peater wasn't getting too close to me. Just in case we looked suspicious, I turned left on Gerrard. We passed the Eaton Centre, before we had to turn right at Yonge and wait for our signal to cross Dundas. While I leaned on the lamp post to wait, I heard someone engage Peater in conversation.

"Say . . . are you Peater Haliantherus?"

"Uh . . . yeah . . . why?"

"Would you happen to know the whereabouts of Elyssia Antonia Maccabaeus?"

"Erm . . . no. Why do you ask, sir?"

"According to sources, she is your fiancé, correct?"

"She was my fiancé, before she . . . sailed away to Newfoundland."

"Ah . . . I see. Well, pleasure speaking with you. Fifty dollars for your trouble."

"Yeah . . ."

This immediately put my guard up.

Who was that you were talking to? I asked as the light changed and I crossed Dundas.

"A stranger who wants to kill you. What else is new?"

I turned right on Queen and prepared to walk into Nathan Phillips Square, only to be greeted by an odd sight. On the platform in front of City Hall, several plants were giving a speech, while flashbulbs went off every other second in the crowd of plants that was spilling onto Queen and Bay streets. No wonder the traffic was so reprehensible! I walked closed, and sat down in the shade to listen to the speech.

" . . . Elyssia is a mad-plant! She must die! We should not allow such abhorrent plants to sully our proud, Canadian soil with poisons of greed, terror, and worst of all . . . evil!"

I gasped as the clock on Old City Hall chimed one o'clock in the afternoon. 1300 hours. I heard a crack of thunder that the crowd didn't seem to notice, wince it was cheering so loudly.

"Down with the Maccabaeus Mad-Plant!" they chanted.

I looked up, and saw a masked figure in a cape standing on top of City Hall. Their cape billowed in the wind, making them look like one of those wispy puffs that ninjas conjured before they disappeared.

Uh . . . Peater . . .

"Yeah, I know! Say, how many newspaper photographers are there? Let's see . . . I see the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, Metro, 24 Hours ―"

This is not the time to worry about which newspapers are or aren't here! See that figure on top of City Hall? Something about him spells out "trouble" in capital letters. I think I should . . . I dunno . . . go to the stage . . . ?

"You're right! Did my father teach you how to teleport?

Uh . . . no . . .

"Luckily, I know how to teleport. We should probably just teleport to the back of the stage, climb on, and then take it from there . . ."

Peater slipped his leaf in mine, and in a flash of white, we were indeed on the other side of Nathan Phillips Square. I climbed onto the stage and sat there, while Peater walked over to the edge of the crowd. I looked up at the masked figure on top of City Hall, only to find them staring back at me.

"Remember me?" he cackled as he walked towards me.

Before I could answer, he tugged off his mask and cape, revealing himself to be none other than Edgar George Zomboss.

Uh . . . Peater . . . Zomboss is here . . . ! Cause a diversion or something!

Peater looked at me and nodded, before yelling at the crowd and pointing to the stage. The crowd turned and gasped, and Zomboss took this moment to rip apart my disguise. The crowd filled with whispers and hisses as their attention snapped to the stage,

"Hell has officially frozen over! Zomboss is back!"

"No way . . ."

"Who's worse? Undead Madman or Maccabaeus Mad-plant?"

"Hey, get your cameras out! We're gonna be rich!"

I looked at the crowd, and stared into Zomboss' eyes.

"As strange as though it seems, Eric was working with me. Using his abundance of natural charm, he ended up as Premier, and I was going to use him as a puppet, before God turned on me!" he guffawed.

The crowd gasped at this, and more mutters arose. This time, I didn't pay them any mind.

"And . . . this truth will die with all of you!"

I glared daggers into his eyes and conjured two swords, one for each leaf, as I jumped up onto one of the rafters over the stage.

"If you want to stop me, then by all means, give it a try. But you'll never do it, because there is nothing I can't do! Let's dance, little girl!" Zomboss snarled.

I jumped off from the rafter with a yell, and landed on the ground with a thud. Our swords clanged and clattered against each other, until Zomboss knocked my swords out of my leaves. He caught it in one swift, fluid motion, and smiled derisively at me.

"Well, well, well . . . Elyssia Antonia Maccabaeus finally falls at my hands . . . the Coponeva Insuperabilis! You were never worthy of being that girl, and you never will be, because for one thing, you'll be rotting in hell as some reprehensible demon, and second, you ain't gonna win this fight!" he jeered, before collapsing in a fit of laughter.

"You're an idiot!" I muttered as I used telekinesis to levitate the swords out of his hands and throw them far, far way.

"Yo, Elyssia! Break his face! Break his God-forsaken, horsey ol' face!" Peater crowed.

Zomboss snapped out of it and pulled a gun out of his pocket as he stood up.

" I always knew it would end this way . . ." he laughed as he prepared to pull the trigger.

"Three . . . two . . . one . . .!"

He pulled the trigger, and in the exact same instant, I fired an aquamarine jet of ice at his heart. Less than a second later, the two things collided, causing a turquoise-gold dome to blossom around us. I barely saw the flashbulbs go off as a shield was created between Zomboss and I.

"You're finished." I whispered as a swirling ball of blue gobbles up the bullet, and swallowed the dome.

The huge sphere made its way towards Zomboss, and launched itself at his heart before he could do anything. In a brilliant bluish-white flash of light, Zomboss was lying there, a huge, bleeding hole in his chest.

"You whore . . ." he rasped as he choked up blood.

"You haven't seen the last of me . . . I am invincible, I tell you . . . I'll come back to bite your sorry ass, Antonia . . . I'll be back . . ."

With that, his body cracked in half and a reddish-green mist seeped out, and became the ghost of Zomboss.

"I'll be back . . . I'll be back . . ." it hissed as it floated away and disappeared somewhere down Bay.

For three ringing seconds, there was silence. Finally, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause.

"Long live Elyssia Antonia! Long live the Coponeva!" they chanted.

Peater ran up to the stage and hugged me. He pulled away after a few seconds and grasped my leaves in his.

"Elyssia . . . I'm so happy that you love me . . . I'm so lucky to be in love with a girl like you . . ." he gushed.

I smiled at him, before I became sad.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry, okay? For everything!" I cried as tears began to cascade down my cheeks.

"It took so much courage to say this ―"

I was cut off as Peater pulled me into a kiss. I blushed as the crowd began to roar and take tons of pictures. I pulled away and continued.

"It took so much courage to say this, b-because . . . if you're someone like me, a selfish and hateful girl-plant who couldn't care less about who she hurts 'till it's too late ―"

Peater kissed me yet again, but this time, I was prepared. I threw myself onto him and tackled him to the ground. The crowd wolf-whistled, and flashbulbs went off all over the place.

"Down, boy!" I screeched.

"If you're someone like me, a selfish and hateful girl-plant who couldn't care less about who she hurts until it's too late . . . it seems impossible to change. But I changed, thanks to some real special plants . . . but a lot of the credit goes to you, Peater. Thank you."

I was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when Peater sat up and kissed me again. I returned the gesture of love, before I pulled away and pulled him up. I wrapped my arms around him, and it was my turn to kiss him. Five minutes later, we broke away to a screaming crowd.

"We love you, Elyssia!" they cheered.

I smiled, at Peater and let the photographers take as many pictures as they wanted. It was honestly the most alive I had felt in my entire life.

A/N: WHOA! That was one heck of a chapter! 3814 words . . . that is a lot!

Epilogue coming up soon, so stay tuned for that!

~GamerGirlbe OUTIE! ;)