The Starling Vigilante [Watty's 2015 Award Winner]

Chapter 65

'You need to sit down somewhere,' Sara shouted over the noise. 'You can't fight!'

'I need to get them to safety,' I said slowly. 'I promised them.'

'I'm going to have to go,' Sara told me. 'Just try and find somewhere out of the way.'

I couldn't just abandon the people I had promised to save. I had to help them. But I was too slow. I needed the replica of the Mirakuru Ivo had created.

With great effort, I made my way to Ivo's store room, where he kept all his chemical creations. I was stronger than the drugged dart. I could beat it.

Grabbing the nearest handle, I hurled open the cupboard, knocking over containers and vials in my haste. I was looking for a blue substance, labelled in some sort of telltale name that told me it was what I was looking for.

After a few precious minutes, I found the vial I needed. Injecting it into my arm, I yelped in pain as it entered my bloodstream, my whole body feeling as though it was burning from the inside.

'What are you doing here?' One of Ivo's men growled, hearing me scrabble around in the store room.

As my eyes adjusted, I felt an immense amount of anger towards him, like I had the first time Ivo injected me. Only this time I had injected to much of the substance, my mind telling me to kill anybody in my way.

Drawing my bow, I shot an arrow straight into his chest, even though I tried to, I wanted to resist. Bullseye.

I marched out of the room, my muscles no longer affected by the dart but by the Mirakuru copy. My heart raced at too many beats per second as if it was on overdrive. I shot every man that challenged me, my body not able to stop, not wanting to stop. I felt as if I could do anything; climb the highest mountain, sail the stormiest seas, but in reality I was a murderous monster.

'Get out my way,' I shouted as I ran around the ship in search for Peter and Hendrick. 'Get out my way!'

Inside, I really didn't want to kill anyone, but on the outside, my whole body fought against me. I just hoped I wouldn't try to kill Peter or Hendrick either.

'Aria!' Peter shouted. 'Are you alright now? After the dart hit you?'

'I'm not okay,' I fought through, getting my voice heard. 'I can't fight this Mirakuru copy I injected into myself. It's making me kill people, Peter. I don't want to hurt you.'

My mind flashed back and I could no longer fight the drug, my instinct going back to fight mode.

'One move and you're dead,' I told Peter, leading the way to find Hendrick.

---

'What took you so long?' Hendrick confronted me we met with him. 'I couldn't find a way off this boat. You were a bit late Aria, like all those promises you made.'

Suddenly, I pinned him to the wall, the Mirakuru copy working its magic. I had had enough of Hendrick's nonsense. At the wrong time too.

'I have been trying to help you all this time!' I shouted in his face. 'You are so ungrateful, and I could have left you to rot instead. But I came back for you. I came back!'

'She's being controlled by some drug Ivo created!' Peter shouted over my rant. 'Don't say anything!'

'Don't let me get started on you!' I shouted at Peter. 'You just mope around, like some pathetic little-'

Something quickly pricked my skin, a needle entering my body. Oliver had injected another sort of chemical into my bloodstream, its effects making me become calmer and less instinctive. My sight became less clouded and my muscles became less tense. I was back to my normal self again.

But then I realised all the insults I had said under the influence of that ever so powerful drug. I had surely made two enemies instead of friends.

'I'm so sorry for what I said,' I apologised immediately. 'Hendrick, Peter, I didn't mean all those awful things I said. I don't expect you to, but if you can, please, forgive me.'

'I forgive you,' Peter smiled. 'You were not yourself. You weren't to blame. And luckily we had a saviour.'

As we turned to where Oliver had been standing, we found that he was gone.

'He must have gone up on deck,' I concluded. 'I need to go and help them fight!'

'No, you don't, Aria,' Hendrick held me back. 'You'll die out there! I don't think you were to blame either. It was right, what you said about me. I didn't give you a chance. But now, I'm giving you a chance. A chance to live and get off this damned boat!'

'You're right,' I said after reflecting upon my predicament. 'I said I would save you, and I won't break that promise. Not ever. And if I go up there, I may not be able to fulfil that promise. So I won't take that chance. I'll get you both out of here. I promise.'

'Thank you,' Peter said, taking my hands and clasping them together in his. 'I won't forget this.'

Throwing Hendrick my dagger, I broke a wooden leg off a chair near us for Peter and armed myself with my bow, ready to defend ourselves if needed. Taking a few men down on our way, we took a lifeboat off the ship and used it to sail to the island. It was hard work, but in the end we arrived ashore, safe from the terror of the ship.

'We're- we're free!' Hendrick shouted, not believing what was happening to him. 'Oh god, I've missed this island so much more than I ever thought I would!'

'The ship!' Peter suddenly shouted. 'It's breaking down!'

In a flash of orange and white, we saw a small explosion on the ship near the engines.

'It- the engine!' I exclaimed. 'It's ruined! Our only way home is ruined!'

'I hope everyone is alright on the ship!' Peter crossed his fingers. 'All the prisoners like us!'

'Sara!' I screamed through my radio. 'Sara! Are you alright?'

'We're on deck!' Sara replied back through the radio. 'Where are you?'

'We're on the island,' I told her.

'I'll try to-' Sara was cut off by another explosion.

'Sara?' I screamed. 'Sara!'

She wasn't answering.

'She'll be fine,' Peter reassured me. 'They all will.'

'But-' I whined.

'They're alive!' Hendrick interrupted me, pointing to the boat. 'Look!'

We could see small figures jumping off the boat, one very similar to Sara. I just hoped they were Sara, Slade and Oliver.