The Result of a Change

"What is it?” he asks in a hurry.

“I’ll sneak into his companion’s thoughts.” I say glancing back at the tall lady walking behind Marcilus, causing him to turn his head and see who that is.

He turns his gaze back to me as I continue, “I’ll know their secret place where they had stayed hidden all that long, steal the serum from Marcilus and get back.”

“I don’t get why do you even care about the serum.” he says rolling his eyes.

“Listen.” I say sharpening my voice, “If it’s important to them, then it’s harmful to us if left in their hands. We all have the disease, remember? Just, trust me.”

He sighs, “All right, get that serum while Peter and I distract the guards.”

A smile forms on my face, “Thank you.”

He nods before joining Peter.

Okay, let’s know who you are, little Ms. Anonymous.

I give her a sharp glare and force my eyes shut. I press on my nerves as I focus until I can finally feel the connection.

I didn’t help him detect her location just to kidnap her and hide the serum. I can’t believe I helped this to happen. But I know where is it and I will take away what I once found.

I disconnect as my head spins. I think I broke the incubation this time. She’s the one who sneaked into my room that night. It’s now confirmed. She was sent to help them detect our destination. How cheap are they!

I’ve to get the serum, I have no other choice left.

I walk through the chaos pressing my eyelids hard against each other.

The moment I open my eyes, I find myself behind her. This is the chance I’ve been waiting for. I quietly press my hand on her mouth to prevent her from letting out a scream while dragging her to a corner away from everyone.

I look around checking if it’s safe before releasing her.

“Where’s the serum?” I whisper pinning her against the wall.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” she shrugs.

“I can read your mind, my dear. Don’t lie.” I warn, smirking at her.

I hear her muttering something I couldn’t hear.

“What?” I ask.

She bites her lips before speaking up, “It’s in this building.” she says pointing at a tall building opposite to us.

I turn my gaze back at her. There’s something in her eyes that’s making me feel I once knew her, not only that, I feel my eyes did trust her before.

“Where exactly?” I question in a tone nearly out of emotion.

“3rd floor, 4th room to the left. It’s his room.”

“Whose room?” I ask.

“Marc’s”

“Marcilus?”

She nods.

“And how can I trust you?” I ask in a harsh tone.

She smirks, “Read my thoughts and know it yourself.”

“Fine.” I free her from my grasp.

She takes a breath and turns to leave but I hold her wrist to stop her.

She sighs, “What else do you want?”

“Tell a soul that you’ve met me, and know that the next breath you inhale is terribly the last.” I threaten.

She looks at me, her eyes widened, then nods before running as far away as possible.

Looking at her as she walks away, a sudden realization hits me, really hard.

Mrs. Ruby Williams, it’s her.

I can’t believe she had always been a spy. I mean, how could she fake that all! God, why is everyone betraying me? She was my all time favourite teacher. Worse than that, she was a like an elder sister to me, a sister whose soul connected with mine.

There’s no time for this, I’ve to get there as quickly as my legs can run. I turn to face the building and run to its entrance. The door is already opened so I just look around to check if no one’s around, then rush in.

“3rd floor, 4th room to the left.” I recall in my mind as I get in the elevator.

There must be cameras hidden somewhere. I look down at my feet to hide my face, click on number 3 and wait.

Soon after, the door opens and I step out.

“4th room, 4th room to the left.” I repeat to myself in a whisper.

I look for the room, counting the doors from the left side of the corridor. I stop by it, with his name painted in black on the metal door, I turn the door knob and push the door open. Stepping inside, I close the door behind me carefully, trying not to cause any sound.

I take out the breath I was holding and make my way to his desk.

He must’ve kept it in the drawer. I open it but see nothing. I look around the room, under the bed, between his papers, everywhere but find nothing.

My heart pounds as the floor beneath my feet echoes.

Footsteps.

I stay fixed on my position as they come closer and closer.

A voice I’ve never wanted to hear speaks up, “Are you looking for this?”

How come that he had opened the door without I hear it squeaking?

I turn my gaze to him as his glowing red eyes shoots mine giving me goose bumps. He steps closer making me see his clingy grey skin and long ears resembling an elf, that if he weren’t abnormally tall.

He clenches his jaw, “It’s not good to ignore my question, dearie.” he warns.

Dearie? I wonder why is it in his vocabulary? Oh, I just realized he likes sarcasm.

I smirk confidently, “Yes, thanks for finding it for me.” I say stretching out my hand to take it.

He laughs before looking at me fiercely.

“Nice try, little Zoey but this belongs to me.”

“To me, not you, Mr. Haunton.” I state.

“The way I own half of your blood?” he smiles cunningly.

I clench my jaw as my anger gets built.

“You don’t.” I say behind gritted teeth.

“I do, my darling.”

“What do you want from us? Give us the serum.” I order.

“I want you dead.” he says.

Without a slight warning, a knife cuts my side. I groan in pain as I fall on the ground. The cut burns into my body stopping me from moving. It’s deep.

I can’t end my life in such a humiliated way.

My eyes fall on the gun in my pocket. I ignore the pain and the blood rushing out of my body as I take the gun out. Lacking the ability to focus, I point the gun at his direction and shoot.

He groans and curses as he comes closer to me slowly and angrily. I shoot again. He groans but this time, I see him collapsing onto the ground. I’m safe.

I sit on the floor and crawl to him. Snatching the serum from his fist, I walk out of the room leaning on the wall.

The wound is still fresh and the blood is flooding out, just as all my energy fades away.

I throw myself on the cold ceramic tiles and take off my jacket, wrapping it around the cut. I tighten it forcing the blood to stop, then get on my feet again relying on the wall the way and enter the elevator.

Clicking on 0, I sigh in relief. I did it, I got the serum.

The door opens and I walk out quickly getting out of the building.

Screams, gunshots, bombs and groans vibrate into my ears the second I get out. It’s time to clean up the mess, time to fight.

“Stay strong and do it for your parents, for Jo.” I mutter encouraging myself as I head towards the spot where Edward is. I stick my shoulder to his and whisper, “I got it.”

A smile creeps up on his face as he shoots another bullet, “Great.”

“Where’s Jimmy?”

“Making more weapons. Are you armed?”

I nod as I run to the other side of the field and shoot. Pain rushes into my body, ” Stay strong, Zoey.” I whisper to myself as I free another bullet from the gun.

Peter

I see Zoey running and firing at their soldiers. But where’s Jo? She must be fighting somewhere. I dodge away as a clenched fist makes its way towards my cheek and punch the disgusting creature standing before me and hit my knee into his stomach. He groans as I take the opportunity and shoot him. He drops dead on the broken glass.

I look around to see if someone else intends to fight me and then my eyes fall on two of the soldiers dragging a struggling woman to a building nearby.

I shoot one of them. They release her and turn their gaze to me.

I shoot again before they even make a move and see them falling on the ground, dead.

The woman locks her eyes into mine and I stand in my place staring in shock.

Ms. Emma is on our side.

She smiles innocently then walks away calling the rest of the rebels. A smile forms on my face as the numbers on our side increase which didn’t last for long.

BOOM

A bomb explodes nearby and we separate, being thrown on the ground. I wince at the pain as my cheekbones hit the hard asphalt. I press on my nerves and get on my feet again grabbing the gun as I straighten up.

I look around as more soldiers pour out of a spaceship. Zoey fights some of them by hand while I and the rebels start shooting whoever gets in the way.

I spot Edward and run to him.

“What do we do now?”

“No plans, keep shooting.”

I curse under my breath and shoot.

Zoey

I’m shooting non-stop that my hands hurt and my feet had gone numb. I glance over at where Peter and Edward are standing and find two tall blue figures approaching them from behind. My eyes adjust their focus and I recognize them.

Xoliners.

I open my mouth to warn them but something shuts me up pressing hard on my mouth. I feel something slimy captures my wrists.

I struggle and kick the Xoliner trying to stop me and release myself. I’m standing a few feet away from him, resting my hands on my knees and gasping for breath before he grabs my wrist again. I turn to him, clenching my fist in a punch, ready to hit him violently. Then my nose smells a stingy scent that rushes into my skull and flows my my brain, causing my head to spin. I look at his red eyes as mine get in and out of focus.

And then everything tunes out.