Arc 2 - Chapter 49: Luke and Hope vs Gemma I

(Libertatem 1, 59 / 5:16AM)

“There it is!”

All three of them noticed a panel of valves and hatches.

Many blue pipes scattered the hallway, with the walls too close to one another. Linear, some of the pipes lead to the bottom, a means to extend the water down to the water units below. The valves and controls enormous, the walls lamented in light green, the room sort of resembled a submarine.

Fred scratched the back of his head.

“So … how exactly is water going to kill it?”

“You’re just going to create a water bomb. A bomb strong enough to kill the beast.”

“Is that safe?”

“No, not really … if only we had someone who specializes in water…”

“Yeah … like a water user.”

Luke pushed his feet forward, and felt his boots crackle the metal from underneath. With the three of them sprinting forward, they felt their throats parch from their run.

Until the back of Luke’s hair rose.

Caressing the grip of his right uzi, Luke looked around with sweat beading his temples. Hope noticed his caution increasing, leaving her to tap his shoulder out of curiosity.

“Luke, is someone here…?”

“Probably … maybe … I don’t know, I feel like we’re being watched.”

—“That’s because you are~”—

Turning their heads towards the feminine voice, they all widened their eyes on the sight beholding them.

Behind them, was a tall girl with pitch black hair, her skin ghastly and riddled with dirt. Tilting her head to the right, she smirked, while motioning her eyes on both Luke and Fred; mostly Fred.

“Gemma…”

Fred’s breath started to fasten, leaving Hope and Luke to walk closer toward him. Curling his fingers deep into his palm, his wobbling legs barely held his body weight.

Luke pulled out both of his uzis, while Hope yanked out her combat pistol.

—I don’t know if we could ever reason with her … she wasn’t even willing to listen to Hope…

Seeing Fred’s face grow pale, and his lips stuttering, a smooth hand pressed onto his shoulder. His breath caught in his throat, Fred turned his eyes on Hope.

“We’ll figure something out.”

“I … ah …”

“You don’t have to fight. All you have to do is build a bomb. So please…”

His quaking eyes glazed upon her warm face. Seeing her smile, seeing her calm nature radiating through his darkness, it was enough to seal his lips. And tighten his body.

“Promise us you’ll push to the end.”

“... ok …”

Fred looked away, and averted his eyes from both Hope and Gemma.

Luke took a step forward, and had his fingers on the side of the gun. His eyes fully focused on Gemma, his composure was mostly nervous, with a flick of confidence.

“It’s ok Fred. Just reach for that control panel.”

“But—”

“We won’t try to kill her. I’ll see if I can hold her down at most.”

“Please Luke … let that be a promise.”

Luke glanced his eyes toward his right, and saw Fred as timid as a mouse. Pushing out his words a whisper, he softly smiled.

“I promise.”

Fred began to slowly walk backward, as he kept his hands stalled on his thighs. Treading the metal light, Luke and Hope stood in Gemma’s way, leaving her to replace her smirk with a frown.

A frown so filled with malice, that both of them quivered.

“You two are in my way … as for you Hope …”

She focused her eyes on Hope, as mist sprouted from her palms. Her eyes narrowed, a sheet of white blanketed her, making herself a layer of armor.

“You touched my Freddy. You know how angry I get when someone touches him…”

“E-Eh!?”

“You … you want to take him away from me! Just like how Luna took away Luke from you!”

“L-Luke and I aren’t even dating yet!”

—Y-Yet?!

“Bullshit!”

Spreading her feet far apart, she dug the butt of her heels down to the metallic floor. Balling both of her hands, her fists hardened under the strength she gave.

And pushing her feet off the floor, the air rippled around her body.

Pulling back both of her hands, she glared at the woman with blue eyes. Reaching right in front of her, she began to pulsate her slim muscles, and trajected her fist toward her.

“Time to finish you—”

—With her left hand, Hope threw something from out of her pocket.—

Gemma had no choice but to run into her trap. Shrieking, she felt it clobber her eyes, making her raise her hands up to them. Scratching relentlessly like a madwoman, tar ran down her cheeks, while her skin regenerated nearly instantly.

“You dirty cheat!”

Sand dripped from Hope’s fingertips, which sprinkled onto the metallic floor. With her other hand gripping her pistol, she had the barrel aimed at Gemma. And because Gemma’s eyes were closed, Luke sprinted toward her.

Placing both of his uzis into his holsters, the butt of his heels pushed on the very floor he ran on. Leaping to the right, he made sure that his charge wasn’t predictable, leaving Gemma to try to hear his boots. Having his right hand in his pocket, he took out a simple metal rope, but rigid with flexibility.

—I hope this keeps her down.

Sprinting toward her right, he then wrapped the metallic rope all around her body. Lassoing her like cattle, she was still in pain from Hope’s trick.

Once Luke was able to make a knot, he breathed harshly once. With only a gleam of sweat stationed on his temple, he then turned toward Fred, who worked on the valves and controls.

—Guess this plan is going as follows.

Turning his attention back onto Gemma, Luke then pulled out one of his uzis. Having a tightened grip, he pointed the barrel straight down, and the same went for Hope. But Hope’s eyes began to swell, as if she was on the verge of tears.

“Why do you keep fighting us? Can’t you see what you’re doing?”

“What am I doing? What I’m doing is following a plan!”

“What plan? What exactly are you even following? Who even are you?”

“Would you cry if I say … that I’m still Gemma. I just have knick for murder now.”

Luke couldn’t dare to bring himself to shoot her, and even Hope struggled to contain her tears. Swaying her head, Hope’s lips began to churn toward the bottom of her chin.

Until she lowered her gun to her side, with the barrel pointed to the floor. Continuing to maintain a tight grip, she pleaded with Luke.

“Luke … what really should we do …”

“A-As long as she’s in that rope, then we’ll be ok—”

Because she had a blanket full of white surrounding her, it was a safety measure Gemma took. And because she was wrapped around by rope, her own mist began to blanket the metal, leaving it to …

Loosen.

From her head down to her toes, all of her body was misted like dew. And upon being free, Luke and Hope saw the failure of their own plan.

Escaping out from their sight, Gemma led a trail of mist toward another room.

—Are you kidding me!?

Seeing the trail she left, it pushed Luke and Hope to sprint toward her, their weapons creaking from their palms. Feeling bits of frustration sweeping into their soul, their own boots thumped the floor.

—I should’ve known she would get away easily!

Their fingers on the side of their guns, they continued to pulsate their thighs and calves with strain. Feeling their breaths be worn out, like they forced the air to corrode their throats, they maintained their run.

Upon reaching the other room, Luke barraged through the door with his shoulder. But upon entering, they stepped into the densest of fog. The mist was so dense, they could feel the water trickle down their nostrils..

“Careful Luke … she could attack anywhere…”

“Don’t worry, I heard about your other fight. Benn told me all about it.”

Trying to squint through the fog, he couldn’t see anything. In fact, he couldn’t see what lay a meter in front of him. Feeling Hope wrap her left arm around his right, if he were to try to glance at her, he wouldn’t be able to see.

—And unlike Benn, I don’t have a blessing that is going to help me out here…

Luke centered his body straight, and made sure that his chest and stomach were perfectly aligned. His hands still gripping his uzis, he steadied his breathing.

Hearing only the deafening silence, the mist burdened their ears. Hearing and feeling the beating of his own heart, it was like he had closed his eyes underneath a layer of water.

Until he heard the reverb of a service bell.

—Wait, she’s … huh…

He sensed danger, but he didn’t know where. The strands of his hair sticking up, along with a cold shiver running down his back, she was coming.

Or is she?

“You're a dead bitch! You’re not going to be named Hope Fenix for shit!”

He heard her voice, but it caused him to stall for a split second. Sensing that she was homing closer and closer, it was clear that she wasn’t gunning for him…

“Hope! Watch out!”

Hope widened her eyes, and looked over toward Luke’s direction. Even when she had her left arm wrapped around, she had no instinct or sense to determine where Gemma was. Trying his hardest to keep her within his reach, he felt his face go numb from the increasing danger. Wanting to keep her by her side, the climax of his instinct soon—

Faded.

A gush of wind swayed his hair. Feeling like her body swayed to the right, he still had her arm wrapped around his.

“Hope?”

Trying his hardest to pull her in, he hoped to see the same blue eyes and blonde hair she had. Puckering his lips into his mouth, he wanted to see her … but that was for the fog to decide.

He couldn’t tell if she was awake or asleep, conscious or unconscious, he tried to place her chest onto his. Pushing her head to—

…

He couldn’t feel her head.

“H-Hope?”

No response.

“Hope … H-Hey Hope…?”

No response again.

Tightening his grip upon her back, she had his arms laid around her waist. His whole body trembling, he tried to lean his face close to hers. Was she—

He swayed his head in denial, and dug his fingers onto her back. His eyes began to blacken, his upper eyelids twitched endlessly while his feet numbed. Raising his left hand, he placed his palm onto her … she didn’t have a—

“You’re distracted.”

A reverb gong blared his soul, which pushed sweat to drench his body.

His feet loosened, his fingers tightened, his stomach convulsed, his chest fastened … Everything was in shock. Ghostly pale, he was blanketed in pure fear

Continuing to hear the gong’s deadly ring, denial grazed the edges of his soul.

—What … is this …

He collapsed on the ground. Feeling a gust of cold air to caress his throat, he couldn’t feel any sense of sweat coursing his body. Unable to move his eyes, or anything in general, he stared at the heavy mist that blinded his eyes.

Darkness fell upon him.

And so did his hearing.