Chapter 30 — “Special”

Chapter 30 — “Special”

The siblings stares at each other. One — with green aura surrounding her, has her hands down. She studies the eyes of her brother. The brother’s arm shakes even more violently — his index finger freezes next to the trigger.

“I thought —“

As soon as Lime said her words, Lemon raises his gun even more. The fear in his eyes reflects on the dark metal of his handgun. Lime flinches, diverting her head to the ground.

“I thought… if there are anyone in this world that will accepts who I am, despite everything that has happened — it would be you…”

Lemon keeps his pose up, as he begins to approach Lime. A step closer, and closer. He raises his left hand that should be the support for his right hand— bringing it closer and closer to her face.

“—  All I want is to live peacefully with the both of you, just like before! Why can’t I just be a happy, normal person in the present? Why do I have to carry this unfair fate?”

Lemon’s approach halts. He grits his teeth tight.

“…Happy? Normal? ” He clenches the bottom of his gun, “Look around you! Don’t you see? You’ve killed people! People that are innocent — that lived the life you wanted! You’ve taken hundreds of lives for your own selfish desire!”

Lemon points to the destruction — on the craters, and all over Shizuoka.

“Oh, wow! It's like you haven't taken a single life, Mr. Hero!” Lime screams with all the air in her lungs, 

“You know from the moment Bitter took us in —  that we're the scums of this world! It’s true what all the people say about us — we betray, we kill, and we take everything so we can live, like a proper scum! You call me selfish, but look at you! Aren’t you doing your selfish thing, as well? You mask it with your so-called ‘justice’ but I see through you. In the end — you just wanted some kind of revenge, don’t you?”

“Yeah — you are absolutely right! I did all of this just to satisfy my needs to see people suffer — the same way the made us suffer! But what you just did — ? It's way worse than my useless revenge!”

“Don’t give me that, Lemon!” Lime stamped her feet — the ground surrounding her starts to glow green. “You said you wanted to burn the whole world! And now, when we can do the impossible — you suddenly talk about ‘precious human lives’?”

“I was wrong, alright? I said some edgy stuff and all — and I was wrong! But I saw the world, and the people in it. Not all of them deserve to die, especially normal human being!”

A break. A moment of silence between the storm. Lime’s face — which has been filled with anger suddenly changes. She drops her head, as the green ground stops its glow.

“…so, I don’t deserve to live?”

Lemon’s heart sank — hearing it straight from his sister doesn’t do him justice.

“Look —“

“— It’s okay, Lemon…” Lime cuts his attempt to apologise, “I know, from a long time ago — that I’m a freak. That I don’t fit in, even in the agency… I know, even with all the hope everyone has given; you, Bitter, Shem, Cham, Noah — I know that everything would be futile, when it's just me against all of the world.”

Lemon bites the lower part of his quivering lip.

“It’s okay. I know I don’t have long ever since I received this ‘blessing’. To think I even thought of the way of how to live with…this.”

Lime takes a deep breath, collecting her courage, “You’re right. I’m a selfish person. I’ve killed those deserving to live, just to breathe a couple more seconds.”

Lime raises her hands, lifting them up high to the starry sky.

“If it’s you, then I wouldn’t mind.” Lime closes her eyes, surrendering her destiny. The green aura surrounding her dissipates, welcoming death to her doorstep.

Lemon’s left hand now’s back on the gun’s grip, supporting his right hand. His eyes see through the rear sight, with Lime’s head in the middle. His breathing becomes more and more uncontrolled — with his finger on the trigger drenched in cold sweat —

“Such a coward — ”

Lime peeks from her closed eyes. Lemon’s gun collapses along his arms, now hanging from his side.

“— I can’t even hold a single promise.” He throws the gun away — far from his reach. He can’t look at Lime in the eyes — remembering the promise he has given to the deceased. He points his finger to the direction of his right.

“Go, Lime. Live.”

The sound of the wind fills the void of the conversation. The chilly night has become warmer by the seconds.

“Pfft.” Lime let out a big laugh, holding her stomach like there’s no tomorrow. Lemon raises his head, perplexed with the whole ordeal.

"Oh man. We’re so stupid, aren’t we?” Lime tries to regain her cool, while keeping her hands on her stomach.

“Lime?”

She takes a deep breath. Her face is more peaceful than she’s ever been.

“You see, after all that you said, I don’t plan to leave.”

Lemon’s face grows pale, “What?”

“What you just said — it's all true... Wherever I go, I'll bring destruction. Even if I hide somewhere in the corner of the world — as long as I’m still here, the world would just find me and fires all of their rockets to me. And then, everyone there would just be dead. Just like that. Just because of me... I was dumb. Too dumb to even think that an option to leave is available for me.”

Lemon froze in his place. He thought he’d be ready, but the reality of his sister’s fate is too much, even for him.

“It’s the end of the line for me —” Lime raises her hand toward Lemon, “— But not for you.”

With a flick of her finger, the area over Lemon blasted as if an immense force was blowing it away — with the exception of Lemon. Unaffected, but realising what Lime’s doing.

“Your nullification has some sort of limit, right?” Lime keeps her hands in front of her. True to her word, Lemon starts to stagger in his stance.

“Lime, no—!”

“Be sure to live in the present, and for the future, alright?”

Lime flicks her finger again. This time, it blows Lemon away — far, far away from where she is. She watches the flying brother, give her a little laugh on her own. As she calms herself down, she watches the sky again. The starry sky has fuller than before — ready for the second wave.

“This time around, are countries from Asia and Middle East continent, huh?” Lime stretches her hands, “Sorry, I know I said all of that stuff — but I’m still going to give my all — for both my today and tomorrow!”

Lime raises her hands to the sky. A bubble start to form — enclosing the radius of the crater with its top being open — welcoming the barrage. Then, she drops her hands — rubbles start to floating, grouping with each others as it forms boulders. Then, with all of her focus to the starry sky — she threw all of the rubble toward the assault from the heaven.

The boulders hit through the some of the missiles, but now — enormous numbers of the ballistic weapon keeps raining down on her. Lime dances with her fingers — hitting all the warheads with each other. Another spectacle of fireworks, as it decorated the night sky. But its not enough.

A hyper speed missile hit the ground near her, exploding its shrapnel toward at her. She blocks the explosion in time, but not the shrapnel. It pierced through her fleshes, shredding it with every pellets came through her.

Lime groaned — fell into the ground. But in another seconds, she brings herself up — along with the next rounds of boulders. She gazes to the starry sky — clenching her jaw as she fights for her tomorrow.

. . .

“Lime...”

Lime heard her name being called. She felt a soft cushion underneath her head. Her body feels numb — only pain keeps her reminded of her still intact body. She can feel a warm stream flowing down from her body. She opened her eyes — not satisfied with the face of her brother again.

“…Why are you here again?” She asked weakly.

Lemon grips her hole-riddled hands. Her stomach has been ripped open, and the only thing keeps her torso still is the green aura surrounding it.

“I’ve made my mind,” Lemon said, “I won’t run again. Not going to turn back on my decision again.”

“…Oh, good on you…but you’re making it harder for me.”

The starry sky is full of volleys of rockets again. The third round is about to begin.

“Don’t worry about me,” Lemon caress her hands, “I’m here to stay with you till the very end.”

“You didn’t respect my last wish, you dumbo?” Lime sighs. Her whole body starts to float, along with rubbles surrounding her.

“What do you know?” Lemon stands beside the torn Lime, "In the end, I'm a scum — like you."

“Arguing until the very end…” Lime coughs — spurting blood from her mouth, “Well… it’s not really a bad way to go.”

“Bitter might be surprised when we got there so quick. I can already imagine him scolding us for being so stupid” Lemon smirked, though his face is pained with the current condition of Lime. He holds her hands, tighter than ever.

“Don’t touch me…” Lime said, “You’re gonna nullified my power”

“You already exhaust me of my condition,” Lemon grips her hands tighter, “Or are you saying you’re too embarrassed for sibling-to-sibling touch?”

“What a pervert … Sorry, Bitter. Seems like we’re going to catch up with you before this pervert has the chance to repent.” she said. A smile arise from her face, while the siblings watches the dawn’s breaking along with thousand stars. For a second, her mouth’s agape from the unbelievable view. She raises her bloodied hands, declaring her final words to the world,

“How strange. When faced with death, tomorrow feels so —”