LOSERSON: FATE

CHAPTER TEN: JEREMY'S FATE

Julian coughs out loud at the middle of the debris, trapped underneath the broken pipes. "Jeremy! Lily!" Julian yells, but there is no answer. Julian struggles to lose much energy as he barely lifts the heavy pipes out from his body. Soon the pipes are broken out as Jeremy emerges from the smoke, who lifts and tosses them away. Jeremy lifts Julian up, and Julian responds, "Thanks."

"Anytime. This way!" Both Jeremy and Julian make their way onto a shallow, disjointed passage surrounded with broken pieces of walls. Suddenly the vibrations halt the duo, and look around only to see the oil dropping from the broken gas pipes to the cracked floor. As the oil catches fire, Julian yells, "Run!"

Both Julian and Jeremy dash to the nearest room as soon as the gas explodes, almost burning them as they reach inside the colossal room. Jeremy peeks around what seems to be numerous panic rooms, and the duo enter into one of them, which is the only room that isn't being destroyed. Jeremy deduces the panic room's function is almost as similar to the escape pods, and presses the button, hoping the tempered glass doors behind them will close.

Unfortunately the tempered glass door does not fully close, as the flickering electrical box can be seen from afar, with the upside lever that activates the mobile escape room to be pushed away. The door can not be closed on the inside either, as Julian tries to, but only from the outside. Both Julian and Jeremy are devastated to realize a thing — one of them has to risk his life to close the door for the other.

"I'll do it," volunteers Julian as he turns to Jeremy. Jeremy disapproves, "No, Julian, you can not do this. There has to be another way."

"There is no other way. We stay here, we all die, at least one of us must make it through," Julian leaves the panic room, "I've lost that much. I will fail, but you will not. This is the world I live in."

"Not yet," Jeremy approaches Julian and begs, "You're here for a reason."

Julian denies regardless, "The reason to save you guys. Goodbye, Jeremy."

Julian steps twice backwards, and is ready to close the door, with a bit of confidence. Unexpectedly Jeremy forcefully drags Julian inside and heads outside to shut the door tightly. Julian tries to open the tempered glass door, but is unsuccessful, as the door stays automatically locked. "The hell, Jeremy?" Julian knocks louder as Jeremy pulls a deep smile. Julian pushes the hardened door, desperate to undo the situation that is about to come. He bursts into tears, "What... What are you doing? Why did you...?"

Jeremy touches the glass softly, and Julian does the same thing slowly. Jeremy answers with a tear, "You deserve to live once more. Melody sacrificed herself for a reason, for you." He breathes once more and requotes, "You're my best pal, Julian. We're hella a team."

Stepping thrice backwards, Jeremy removes his metal hand from the glass and turns around, heading to the electrical box. Julian cries as he slams the door repeatedly, not wanting to see another friend go. Struggling to reach the electrical box, Jeremy grabs hold of the lever and, seeing the terrified Julian in his saddened eyes, Jeremy enlightens his smile and finally pulls the lever down. The panic room activates itself and shoots out from the crashed facility's roof. Julian now sees Jeremy no more in the blink of an eye.

Jeremy leans under the electrical box, knowing there is absolutely no escape from a trapped room due to the flames and falling debris, and takes out the fidget spinner, a memento gift from his brother, from his pocket. As the explosions draw nearer and near, Jeremy spins once more for the last memento. A moment with Priscilla, a moment of caring for two of his children during three years, all of them root into his refreshing mind. Jeremy wipes his tears off, and breathes once more

KABOOM! CRASH! The facility explodes into ashes, and the ice floor underneath the mess finally cracks, sinking the entire building down, never to be seen again, as the glacier covers the hole.