Truly this was way past ridiculous, the group still hadn't moved. Well someone had to move. She got a firmer grip on Oliver and started to walk resolutley forward. After a few steps she looked back to see if anyone was following. Her gaze passed over Anna, who looked tired enough to pass out right then and there, and on to Stewart, who looked like he was having a firece internal battle. Concern washed up inside her. "Stewart? Are you ok?"
Stewart stared at Jena with ice cold eyes. "It's none of your concern," Stewart said. That's right teach them their boundaries.
Anna heard the ice in Stewart's voice and didn't hesitate to move. Not even the drowsiness of the fog in her head slowed her down. She snaked her arm around his neck, holding her gun to his back. She didn't think Dedward had taken control yet, but she'd made a promise and wasn't about to take that risk. "Stewart, listen to me. I don't know what's going on in your head, but you've got to not listen. We're your friends for Christ's sake. FRIENDS. Listen to me. We want to help you. But you have to stay with us. Don't give in, okay?"
The ice in Stewarts voice, stung Jena. But before she could react Anna her arm around his neck and a gun in his back. Realization hit Jena, Deadward. "Stewart, listen to Anna. We are your friends, and we only want to help you. Don't let Deadward take over."
Keira watched as Anna and Jena talked about some 'Dedward' person. Nothing they said really made any sense to her. Perhaps she had been gone when this person had been revealed. Whatever it was, Keira stopped in her tracks. "What's the matter with him?"
Jena turned to Keira, "It's hard to explain...he almost has this split personality..there's Stewart, and then there's Dedward, this other part of him that's controlled by the divers in him."
Stewart stared at Jena. "You have it all wrong, Dedward came to me a lot longer before the Divers," Stewart said his voice cold and dry. Why did you tell her that? Cause. No reason. Why should it matter? It shouldn't. Then why bring it up? Just wanted to see if you are aware, so you know who to trust. No Then what Stewart, what? I don't know. Stewart gave a Jenny a cold look and he was still in Anna's grasp. "Let go of me Anna," Stewart said darkly.
The sting from his earlier words was still there, and it was quickly pushing her back to her old self and reaction; anger. His new words only fueled the fire. She glared at him. "Fine, Dedward was already there, that is no reason to act like this to us. Even if he was already there the Divers are fueling him, using him to take you over, and you are letting them! Get it through your head, we aren't the bad guys! We are your friends! We want to help you! Why do you think Anna is always with you ready to defend you? Why do you think I paniced so much when the Diver went into you? It's because WE WANT TO HELP YOU!" There was a strange satifaction to be had in saying all that. She had always been one to hold in her feeling, to bottle them up, past expirence had taught her to keep it all in. But now, that long held belief was beginning to fail. Stewart needed to hear everything she had just said, and so did Dedward.
"Fine, Dedward was already there, that is no reason to act like this to us. Even if he was already there the Divers are fueling him, using him to take you over, and you are letting them! Get it through your head, we aren't the bad guys! We are your friends! We want to help you! Why do you think Anna is always with you ready to defend you? Why do you think I paniced so much when the Diver went into you? It's because WE WANT TO HELP YOU!" Jena said. Why are they wasting time reasoning with him? Vic thought. He liked Stewart as much as the next guy, but was he really worth the trouble? It was becoming more and more obvious that the Stewart they all knew was gone and probably wouldn't be coming back. And the thing that had taken his place was none too friendly. Reese and Oliver were oddly silent, probably each dying a slow death. Meanwhile, everyone was standing around talking to Stewart, the resident nutcase. F*** this, Vic thought, releasing his grip Oliver and drawing his handgun. The ladies have their way of handling this s*** and I have mine. Diplomacy ain't gonna cut it. Not today. He pressed the gun to Stewart's forehead. "Look. You need to make up your f***** mind NOW. People are dying while you stand here sortin' through your personal bulls***," he said. "If you're having trouble thinkin' straight, that's fine. Nothin' clears a man's head better than a bullet." "So who the f*** are you? Stewart or Dedward? Choose.... and I'm doing this because I'm your friend," he added with a grin.
Stewart stared at the barrel. He wasn't sure himself. "Just shoot, cause I don't know who I am....I have never known who I am," Stewart said, "Just get rid of me." * * * Oliver was a little surprised with the groups reaction. Maybe because his own group was more, put together. Then again a lot of them weren't fighting amongst each other. They had their ways, and he and his group has his ways. "I probably should have mentioned this before," Oliver said weakly stepping over a line, "A few of my groups members are still alive and well we have become keen to such disastrous behavior. Oliver stared at a bright red button. "We apologize for this mannerism of ours, but we don't think you're safe enough," Oliver said, "I appreciate all the help though and when the door is reopened again I'm sure we'll have good counselors for you and everything." Oliver pressed the red button. Emergency lock down, the speakers said. "When the rescuers come we'll come and get you....Reese your team should stay locked in this room for the rest of the time," Oliver paused as the door was beginning to close leaving a gap, "I'm sorry to have lied about my group being wiped out, but we had decided on this decision if anyone had ever come, see you in several hours." The door was closed they were locked in. Oliver stared at two men walking up, one was of dark skin and the other tan. "Good going boss," they said. "I don't feel like good going,"
Jena turned to Oliver, "What the HELL?! What do you mean we aren't safe enough?!" But then she turned to Vic and Stewart, "Don't you dare shoot him!" She said pointing, "Stewart, I don't really know who I am either, but that's no reason to die. Just let us help!" Everything was suddenly overwhelming, the voices, the door, the alarms. It was too much noise, and everyone was being so stupid!! She wanted to scream.
"Just shoot, cause I don't know who I am....I have never known who I am," Stewart said, "Just get rid of me." That wasn't Dedward speaking, and Vic knew it. "You're off the hook for now," he said, lowering his weapon. "Next time, fight that thing off before somebody has to hold you at gunpoint. That s*** is gettin' real old, man." EMERGENCY LOCKDOWN!! EMERGENCY LOCKDOWN!! The noise blared through the loudspeakers. Oliver had pulled a fast one. Vic turned and fired at the man, but he slipped away through a closing security door, leaving them trapped inside. Oliver was rather nimble for a man who'd been near-death a few seconds ago. What was he, human or alien? Vic immediately turned his attention to Reese, who was the closest thing they had to a leader. "What the f*** is goin' on?" he asked. "How the hell are you gonna let some a**hole lock us up? I thought you were in charge around here?" He knew the only way to get Rese to do anything was to stroke his ego and insult him at the same time. What probably seemed like Vic being a jerk was really a clever tactic... although he always got some personal satisfaction out of dissin' Reese.
Reese stared at Vic. "Please thinking," Reese said. Reese wondered if he had already known this was going to happen or if he was being foolish. Reese smiled though. "The penny always wins," Reese said. They noticed in one of the small doors was a small wide gap made from a penny. "I stuck it in that crack on that side of the hallways just in case something like this happened," Reese said, "To many f@#kheads trying to screw us over I ain't taking that sh@t any more....I guess I kind of knew this was or sense this was going to happen."
Vic held a gun to Stewart's forehead, Oliver was yelling something about 'it wasn't safe', and the alarms were blaring EMERGENCY LOCKDOWN repeatedly. Keira didn't know everything that was going on, but she had a clue. They were locked in the room with no where to go. Just their luck. And now Reese was rambling on about some penny. That this penny, or whatever it was, was their only chance of escape, and Keira was even more skeptical. "If you're going to get us out of here then do it, because I really don't like the idea of dying in here, even if this is Oliver's idea of a safe zone," she said, grasping her gun tightly. Something about this place was . . . ominous.
The noise, all of it was so overwhelming. People shouting, the alarms blaring, and of course, nobody was doing anything about any of it. "People just SHUT UP! Now, someone open that ****ing door and let's get out of here!"
Stewart gave a Jenny a cold look and he was still in Anna's grasp. "Let go of me Anna," Stewart said darkly. "So you can turn around and stab us in the back?" Anna snapped, her patience wearing thin. "You're listening to her, aren't you? Ursula, you're listening to her. Why? Why would you do that? You told me what she did to you--why would you listen to her? We're the ones trying to help, we're your friends. Don't you see? None of us care if Dedward was around your entire life. You're not the only one with demons in your past. But you have to trust us. You have to trust us or I swear I'll put this bullet through your head. I really will. I said I'd protect you--I meant from yourself, too." She exhaled deeply. Speeches had never been her thing, and she didn't know what she had been saying. She'd only said what made sense. Other than that she tried to ignore the chaos in the room. It wasn't worth her time. Either they would get out or they wouldn't. Big deal.
Reese walked over the barely, a human can crawl through that gap. He placed his hands where his penny had landed. "The stupidest feature of these lockdown doors is the release button for just one and not all of them are on the bottom of the door," Reese paused, "So you slide the penny and..." The door began to pick itself up, but the lockdown itself wasn't released just the door. "It's best we go this way," Reese said, "I think I'm becoming quite helpful." * * * Stewart heard Anna speak and he just stared at one of the doors in front of him. "I'll listen to whomever wants to speak to me Anna," Stewart said, "Now like I said let go.......please."
Jena stared at Reese in amazement. There was not a trace of sarcasm or bitterness or the usual sound of Reese there, he actually sounded nice. "Wow, you are actually right. Holy crap, I cannot believe I just said that! So what the hell happened to the Reese we all know and love? Did you get some blow to the head or something?" Even though she sort of liked the new Reese, there was way to much bad history to keep the sarcasm from her voice.
Reese just smiled he can heard and taste Jena's sarcasm. "I think it was all the rib cracking and arm breaking," Reese paused taking a super kick glance towards Keira, "And someone saved me along the way, we could relate a bit." Reese stared over at where Anna and Stewart were. "Anna let go of him, I'll take full responsibility of Stewart and every action he makes," Reese said, "You cool your jets."
"OK, where are we going next?" Keira asked, after Reese had explained things. He glanced quickly at her, and she smiled at him, but said nothing more. Instead, she set about to study Stewart, waiting to see if he would try anything else. He seemed to be himself again . . . for the time being. "Didn't Oliver say something about sending someone to rescue us, or was that just my imagination?" She hoped she'd heard right. Surely someone had to know about the explosion by now.
Jena watched Reese. He was most definately not the Reese they all knew and loved, but that was good. "Hang on, so if your Mr. good gut now does that mean I'm actually not going to be fired?" A teasing lilt had entered her voice. Shockingly, she was actually almost enjoying talking with Reese. Amazing how things and people could change. Just like her. It was amazing how certain events could change the way you see and feel about everything. She cast a quick glance at Vic and smiled before rejoining the conversation. "I guess we should just continue on to our original destination. Thats kind of the only place left to go."
Without a word Anna dropped her arm from around Stewart. And just as quietly she backed away from him, though she kept the gun up. Her expression was flat and guarded. She made sure no one would know what she was thinking as she backed agains the wall, not quite hearing anything and not quite feeling either. So she just stood there.
Reese smiled at Jena. "Don't push your luck Jena, we have to keep this under wraps to the public," Reese said, "Especially if Stewart is the way he is...I have a feeling something would happen to us if we told them what went on, we'll lie through our teeth....we now have to make an oath to protect the truth." Reese stared at Stewart and Anna. Reese walked past Anna and whispered in her direction. "You don't have to take the burden alone, I'll try my best to take full responsibility of every action...after all he wants me dead," Reese whispered while walked to Stewart and putting a hand on his shoulder, "You're my partner now Stewart....I'll be your new S.P.O for now." * * * Stewart stared at Reese. Now you have more chances. But... You have to be careful that is all Fine... * * * Oliver and his group sat in the control room. They suddenly saw a red light and they knew a message had come in. "This is pilot of 26 we're bringing some troops over and we'll be there in a few light years" Oliver watched as his group nodded with pleased looks. Oliver smiled.
"Well, surprisingly enough I actually do want a job when we get back to Earth." She made mental note to thank Keira for whatever it was she had done to Reese. "We really should go, who knows when another alien or something will come along." /she pulled out her gun and held it loosely at her side before stepping into the corridor and scanning it for danger.
She thought she should say something to Reese. Thanks for what he was doing. But the truth was she didn't feel grateful. In fact, she didn't feel anything. Her insides were frozen; paralyzed. Something was going through her head far too fast to understand, and then something clicked. "You little..." "No! Please, NO!" The girl lay sobbing on the ground, blood dripping from her mouth. Slash-marks covered her entire body, and there was a bite from human teeth on her neck, bloody and torn. "I'll be good, I promise, I promise..." Tears spilled from under her eyes, mixing with the blood and running to the ground. Emerald eyes were fixed on the stranger before her. Stranger she had thought she'd known. What had changed? "Then don't make a sound, wretch. You'll let me do what I want, or you'll pay." There was animal lust in his eyes, as well as a dead look. She didn't understand... he'd been her friend. He was her brother... why was he doing this? It hurt, it hurt. Oh, God, it hurt. Everything hurt. There was pain everywhere. Lights in her vision. Oh, God, oh, God... She bit her lip, swallowing copper as she screamed inside her head, the pain exploding through her body as he hurt her more. Oh, God... please God, save me... Anna dug her teeth into her lip, forcing the cry of pain to stay inside. The memory was so real, so deep, and so different. Yet another friend lost--another... Red liquid trickled from the side of her mouth, dripping with a resounding splat onto the floor; her eyes followed it. Again...
