Anarchy [ Watty's 2016 ]

VII: Jade

I couldn't believe it. Really, if I tried to wrap my head around it, I'd break down emotionally.

First, my parents drop this bombshell of information about what might as well be doomsday, considering, and I learned my best friend was part of it. I was sent out with an impossible goal to obtain top-secret information with no experience. Not only had I failed, I'd gotten myself captured, too. My capture led my best friend and the kind-of-maybe-boy-of-my-dreams to go on a suicide mission to rescue me. That didn't help my conscience. But now...

The leader dude-the same one who'd caught me; I guessed he was maybe a CORE Official, from what little I knew of ranks, and based off of the decoration adorning his suit-raised his fancy gun and fired.

"No!" I screamed, getting to my knees. He'd been aiming for me, I thought, tears streaming down my face. But instead of me lying on the ground, bleeding, it was...

"Alex!" Mordekai shouted angrily. He threw his earpiece to the ground, pressing something on his wrist. Before I could comprehend what was happening, the five COREs collapsed, groaning and grabbing their ears. He ran over to me, to Alex.

Alex, who'd been my best friend for the past ten years. Alex, who meant the world to me. Alex, who'd saved my life by pushing me to the ground, who'd literally taken a bullet for me.

He grabbed her wrist to check for a pulse. "She's still breathing," he said finally. As if in response, she groaned.

I sighed in relief, choking on tears. "Oh thank god," I hiccupped. "I-I..."

"Hang in there, Alex," he muttered. "We'll-"

He was interrupted by a low chuckle. I looked up, and through the tears, I saw the Official sitting up, laughing at us. At me. "She'll never survive. Doesn't matter where I hit-although it was a direct hit to the chest. She'd have to have a god on her side to live through an Executioner blast."

I growled and struggled to my feet. I staggered over to where he was laying, numbly picking up his precious Executioner. I stood on his chest, pushing him down as I pointed the gun at him.

"You cold, heartless, lying bastard!" I half spat-half growled the words. I was still blinking away tears. "I-ugh!" I couldn't help it; I punched him in the face.

"Do it," he mocked me, coughing up blood. "Shoot me. Do it!"

With a shuddering breath, I gripped the gun harder. I was about to pull the trigger when...

"Don't." Mordekai said calmly, still kneeling by Alex. "Don't do it. Don't let him goad you into becoming a murderer." Even at the distance, I could see his eyes darken. "It'll haunt you for the rest of your life."

But he deserves it. He's hurt-possibly killed, if you don't get out soon-Alex! Give him what's comin' to him! My hand trembled. I...

But what about Alex? whimpered a small part of my brain. She and Mordekai both came in here, and instead of shooting and killing these guys, they just paralyzed them. Why would they do that when they could've just as easily killed them? Alex wouldn't want you to murder this man in cold blood...

Almost as if I were watching through someone else's eyes, I tossed the weapon to the side and stumbled back to Mordekai, who gave me a concerned look. I could faintly feel a throbbing in my side from where the Official had kicked me to shut me up, but I paid no attention. "We...we need to get help," I mumbled. "We-"

Suddenly my earpiece, which I'd thought had been shut down completely, buzzed back to life. I dimly thought how lucky I was to have avoided the injuries to my eardrums when Mordekai had used whatever that was.

"Hello? Hello? Can anyone hear me?" It was Will, sounding frantic. "One of the Disruptors went off. What happened? Is anyone there?"

I blinked, startled out of my stupor. Everything became sharper. "I hear you!" I replied quickly. I sighed in relief. "We need help. We need help, badly. Alex...Alex had been shot, and she's bleeding pretty badly..."

"I don't think an ambulance would really help, considering you're technically breaking and entering."

"Doesn't matter! I think-I think we could get her out of the building, take her a couple buildings away." I looked at Mordekai for support. Hopefully, I thought, but didn't say anything. "Maybe we could shoot up an empty building and act like it was a freak accident?"

Mordekai nodded, and Will grunted in reply. Not waiting for an answer, I jumped into action. "C'mon, hurry! We don't have much time!"

Mordekai and I carried Alex between us, who groaned again when we picked her up. That's a good sign, I hope. Luckily, Mordekai's Disruptor had unlocked the door. "No time for stairs," he pointed out. I nodded. Thank god, the elevator still worked. We got in, rapidly pressing the button for the ground floor.