The angel and her demon

~Following the Leader~

'All this has happened before. And it will all happen again.'

Langdon's POV:

When I hear that come from Venable, I shut the top of my laptop, and turn to face them. I see that Amber's unconscious body hanging off of Mead's shoulder.

I am hopeful that she did not eat one of those apples. Mead puts Amber's body on the bed in my room, but I don't want to look too concerned about her, even though I really am, so I pay attention to them.

I ask, "What's this?" Venable, "We're making the selections now, Mr. Langdon. And I'm afraid you didn't make the cut." I laugh, "I'm sorry. I wanted to let you have your moment, but I just couldn't hold it in."

Her face scrunches up, "You think this is funny?" She points to Amber's unconscious body on the bed, "I gave her a special kind of apple. She is now in a deep and troubled comatose sleep. Good luck helping her get out of that one, or not..."

I say to her, trying my best to ignore my concerns about Amber, "I think I'm impressed, Ms. Venable. I wasn't sure you had it in you." I stand up, "You've passed the test. You're perfect for The Sanctuary." Venable announces, "Ms. Mead."

I sit beside Amber on the bed as I hold her unconscious cold hand. Mead points her gun at me, "I wouldn't do that." I look over to Mead and make direct eye contact with her. When nothing happens, Venable asks again, "Ms. Mead."

She turns to Mead, and my eyes go directly to Venable, who is in pure horror to see that Mead is now pointing the gun at Venable, and not at me. As Mead shoots her, Venable grasps, I chuckle slightly as I watch her body fall limp to the ground.

She gasps for air, but it is of no use. Mead confesses to me, "I don't know why I did that. I was always loyal to her." I say to her as I hold Amber's body close to my own, "It's all right. You were obeying commands like you're programmed to do. My commands."

Mead's breath becomes shaky as I turn to face her, "Did you enjoy executing the poison apples plan as much as I enjoyed coming up with it?" Mead asks me, "You wanted everyone dead?" I shake my head, "I've never been a fan of getting my hands dirty, I learned that from my Father."

I say to her, "Always more fun to entice men and women to dirty deeds. It should not have happened to her, though." I look down at Amber as I cradle her face gently with my hand.

I say, "It confirms what I've always believed." She fearfully asks me, "What do you believe?" I say, "That all people, if given the right pressures or stimulus, are evil motherfuckers." Mead admits, "I'm having trouble with this. I never wanted that to happen to Amber, I swear it." I admit to her, "I know you didn't, and I didn't either."

Mead also admits, "I know,I'm just a machine." I say to her, "Never say that. You're not just a machine. Not to me. Not to Amber. Not to Lola or Casen. When I tasked The Cooperative's R&D department to have you constructed. I gave them a prototype to model."

She asks me, "A prototype?" I tell her, "Of someone from my childhood. Someone very dear to me." She then realizes, "The beautiful boy" I admit to her, with tears in my eyes, "That was me."

I admit, "But I had to keep the most part of you hidden from your mind." She asks me, "Why?" I tell her, "To protect you. And the plan. And Amber. But now it's time to remember it all. I lost both of you, and I couldn't bear it. I can't imagine a new world without both of you by my side. The only women who ever really understood me."

Mead, "The only ones who ever really loved you." She and I share a hug." When we broke apart, I tell her, "Ok. Let's wake Amber up." I feel like this might've been the most cliche way of how to wake someone up, but I have to believe it to be true.