Of Minds And Souls | ONC 2021

10| Of Emotion And Loyalty

I stop breathing. I slowly wheel around to face Agent Simmons as the description he had spoken, echoes in my mind.

Pale pink hair, prominent cheekbones, brown eyes, mole on his left check.

"Aiderall," I breathe.

"I am unaware of his name, Agent," Simmons says.

I draw in a short breath, trying to quell the anger raising in me.

"What do they want," I ask, my teeth grinding with the words.

"Agent," he says, looking stricken, "you can't possibly think of complying."

"What do they want," I ask again.

"Agent," he mutters unwillingly.

My hand shoots out and grabs his neck. My thumb pressing into his windpipe, making him choke. All the Agents in the room stand.

"What do they want," I repeat, emphasizing each word as I squeeze tighter.

His face begins to turn pale, and he struggles to speak but I don't loosen my grip.

"You," he finally manages to splutter.

My hand drops and the Agent falls to the floor, gasping for air. I walk to a near weapons rack and pocket a few daggers and a pistol.

"What are you doing," someone asks.

"I'm going."

There was a silence and then a flurry of disagreement. I ignore it and continue to walk away.

"You cannot leave," senior Agent McWell says.

I pause but do not face him.

"If I don't go," I asks quietly, "what happens to him."

The answer was obvious, but no one answers.

"You are too valuable to let leave," Agent McWell says, "I cannot let you go."

My voice is deadly as I respond, "I will leave no matter what."

And I walk towards the exit. I have only taken a few steps when I feel the presence of two agents lurching towards me. I dodge, not touching them and continued walking, faster now.

They try again, now weapons in their hands. I grit my teeth.

"We will use force to keep you here," McWell says.

So, shall I to leave, I think.

The closer Agent twists his whip to grab me, but I pull at it and thrash it out on himself. He comes again, discarding the thick rope and using his hands. I fight him and the second Agent.

Just as the first Agent falls to the floor unconscious, I catch sight of a gun, aimed at my leg in the seconds Agents hand.

In that moment, I have to make a choice. It was either an injury on my leg or his life. Or rather the choice is, Aiderall's life or the Agent's life.

I whip my dagger out and throw it at his neck. There is a sickening plunge as metal hit flesh and a stricken silence that follows.

My eyes widen with shock for a second before I push the feeling away. Before any more Agents can advance, I face Agent McWell.

"I don't think you understand, "I hiss, "even I had to burn everyone in the world, I would do it if it meant I could see Aiderall once more."

The Agents face tightened and when I try to leave this time, no one stops me. As I step out of the gates, a sense of emotion plagues me. Somehow, unconsciously, I had reached a point of no return. 

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