Chapter 22 - They Deserve This

"...ure.....ut...s..." a man asked.

"St.....ing...at....paid......s..." another responded seemingly annoyed.

I was awake, but I no longer lay on the could, steel floor. Instead, it felt as though I was sitting on something soft. The voices continued to speak in hush tones as I tried to get a feel of what was happening.

I peeked open my eye, the movement so small it would go unnoticed. I was in a hover-car. Closing my eye, I tried to come up with a plan.

"I don't know what she did, but the poor kid can't catch a break," the man said pitifully.

"It's because she survived longer than everyone else. Stop questioning things, grunts like us should only follow orders or we'll be disposed of," the other man responded, not fully hiding the pity in his voice.

I wasn't paying attention earlier, but now that I think about it their voices sounded familiar. Flashbacks of the night I was attacked in my apartment came, though I wasn't fully aware of what was going on there was no mistaking it, these men are the same as those who attacked me that night.

I tried not to make any visible movements, but now that I could actually feel my emotions again, that overwhelming sensation came back. Along with it, sadness and anger.

Putting every other thought to the back of my mind for now, I tried to figure out how to get out of here.

Move your left hand outward, slowly.

After going for so long without hearing her voice, I was startled. But I did as she said. 

I felt something....a pen? Normally, I would've questioned what I was supposed to do with it, but that was the easy part. Maybe it was because of everything I went through that all my inhibitions went through the window.

Slowly, I curled my fingers around the pen and slid off the cap. In another fluid motion I stabbed the man on the left in his neck, blood splashing across my face. He quickly grabbed his neck as the other let out a curse and stopped the car. But he wasn't fast enough, I took the pen out plunged it in his neck once more as he spluttered and tried to stop the bleeding.

"You crazy-"

I cut him off as I quickly turned to him, the pen only centimeters away from his eye.

"No sudden movements or you'll be joining your friend soon," I threatened.

He gupled and mumbled out a quick okay. It's funny how I went from being afraid of taking a life, to killing zombies and humans alike. I was expecting to feel some form of guilt but the only thing I could feel, was an urgency to get to Demi and D1. Maybe it was because I had told myself I didn't have a choice, or because I hadn't caught a break to stop and think about my actions. 

"Where were you taking me?" I questioned as I brushed aside my thoughts.

He hesitated before saying, "...D1."

"Why?"

He hesitated again, "Mr. Solone said to bring you there...look we're only doing as we're told because we didn't have a choice, so please let-"

I stabbed him in his thigh and he let out a painful cry and a slew of curses.

"I don't care about your reasons. You broke into my apartment and turned my life into hell. You deserve whatever happens next," I spat angrily. 

I let his ragged breathing settle for a bit before continuing, "Where did they take Demi? The man who was with me."

He inhaled sharply before speaking, "..D1...Presidents...office..."

"What do they intend to do with him?"

"I don't...know...we were just told to bring you after they left. Something about you being a potential success. That's all I know, I swear," he pleaded. 

I knew he was speaking the truth, the status window said as much. "Thank you," I said as I smiled gently at him. For a moment, relief flashed through his eyes, then horror as I plugged the pen into his eye, pinning him to the head rest.

I opened the door and looked around as I wiped the blood off my hands on my pants. Not many zombies, a few mutants here and there but I could get past them. There were literally arrows pointing me in the direction I had to go.

"Between the status windows, these arrows and that unnatural strength I displayed just now, how much of it can you explain?" I asked as I slowly started walking.

You're synchronising after fully processing all information. Maybe it's because of your strong drive to get revenge and to save your friend, but it's happening at an unexpectedly fast rate.

I threw a glance in her direction, I doubted that she'd give me a straight answer but to be that vague after all this time, seriously?

"What information? Synchronising with what? And what was that guy talking about when he said a possible success?" I questioned but she disappeared. 

Figures. I came to a stop at a mangled corpse, the way she died quickly flashing through my mind before it disappeared into nothingness. I leaned down and picked up her gun and severed arm, now seeing my own injury. 

I had forgotten that a zombie had bitten me. If I was normal I would've turned a long time ago. Not only did Lia save me after I was bitten, Demi treated my wound too. How they were confident I wouldn't turn was beyond me, or maybe they were hopeful that I wouldn't?

I let out a sad sigh as I remembered the events. My running away was to save them, but instead, like always, they ended up saving me. I blinked the tears away, forcing myself to focus on my task at hand.

Rina had mentioned to me before that D2 citizens had warp gates set up almost everywhere. They rarely had to walk anywhere, all they needed were the coordinates and they could warp to their destination. 

For the first time I paused to actually take in my surroundings. This district felt like a whole new world, or it would've if it weren't for all the debris and collapsing buildings. Tall skyscrapers that reached passed the clouds, luxury cars, exotic plants and robotic assistants were everywhere.

I would've been impressed and awestrucked if this were some other time, but the buildings that weren't burning were crumbling, the car horns continuously sounded, the plants were crushed and strewn about and the robots were badly damaged or destroyed. Though no matter how far I looked or what I saw, I couldn't help but think they deserved it. The bodies that lay about the place, blood splatters and the faint echos of distant cries and screams for help, they deserved it all.

A raindrop fell on my head causing me to look up, the already dark skies darkened even more as more drops rained causing a heavy downpour. Slowly, I closed my eyes, beneath all that anger and sadness there was a deathly calm. And unknowingly I would push this world into more chaos as I uttered my next words.

"That's right, they all deserve this. Every last one of them is guilty and death is their only escape."